The South Nandi Forest is the most important site for the conservation of the globally threatened Eremomela turneri. The growing human population is the main threat to its biodiversity and the forests provision of ecosystem services. In order to address the above threat, Kenya Forest Service and partners perceived that the introduction of participatory forest management would mitigate the challenge. This study was conducted to provide socio-economic baseline information about the forest adjacent community members and other forest stakeholders who are the key blocks upon which the joint management strategies and programmes would be anchored. Information was gathered using participatory rural appraisal tools such as mapping, transect walks, focused group discussions, respondents recall and the livelihood framework analysis. Firewood was the most accessed forest product with the others being poles and posts. Even the very presence of the forest in the midst of the community presented several livelihood improvement opportunities within the settlement areas such as on-farm tree growing, fish farming, grazing and microclimate for high agricultural production. It was noted that the community were highly interested in participating in forest management (93.7%). The key challenge was that the forest adjacent community perceived South Nandi forest resources to be on the decline. This shall have to be converted into an opportunity that would be utilized to introduce and implement PFM in South Nandi.

 

Key words: Wellbeing, participatory forest management, livelihoods, opportunity and interest.