Participatory Forest Management as an adaptive strategy for sustainable forest governance in Gargeda State Forest, Ethiopia

Participatory Forest Management decentralizes forest governance by granting local communities rights and responsibilities to manage forest resources, aiming to reduce degradation and enhance livelihoods. This study explores PFM as an adaptive governance strategy in Gargeda State Forest, western Ethiopia, where Farm Africa initiated 30 Forest User Groups in 2013, of which only 10 remain active. Using a mixed method approach 324 Forest User Groups surveys, Key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and document reviews the research assessed governance performance, socio-economic outcomes, enabling conditions, and barriers. Results reveal high community awareness (85%) and moderate transparency in enforcement (62%), contrasted by low women’s participation (15.6%) and limited satisfaction with benefit sharing (48%). Willingness to engage in conservation training (83%) and patrols (53%) indicates growing collective commitment. Governance evaluations show moderate policy and legal frameworks (60%), but weaknesses in planning (40%) and implementation (40%). Major challenges include reduced NGO support, weak technical capacity, poor coordination, political instability, and tensions between statutory and customary rules. Nonetheless, strong NGO facilitation, community bylaws and youth engagement were key enabling factors identified as enhancing the sustainability of forest resources. However, sustained institutional backing, technical and financial capacity building, and inclusive participation particularly of women and youth are essential for long term success and wider replication across Ethiopia.Author summary: We examined PFM as a form of adaptive forest governance in western Ethiopia, assessing its role in promoting sustainable forest management by evaluating interactions between forest resources and local communities within the protected Gargeda State Forest. Through a mixed methods approach, including surveys of FUGs, FGD, KIIs, and document reviews, we found that the existence of rare FUGs’ structures and practices in the forest, moderate forest governance pillars, and the impact of community participation influenced the outcomes of pre-PFM and post-PFM involvement on forest conservation and livelihood improvement. Additionally, we identified external challenges to PFM in the study area, along with conditions necessary for scaling up successful practices. Our findings underscore the need for adaptive forest governance that integrates community knowledge with national strategies, offering valuable lessons for sustainable forest management. These insights can help policymakers and practitioners balance human needs with environmental protection and ultimately support the resilience of forest ecosystems for future generations. To enhance PFM, sustained institutional support, strengthened technical capacity, and inclusive participation particularly by women and youth are essential to ensure long term success and scalability in similar regions.