Abstract

Zagros forests, located in the western part of Iran. Up to now, enough attention has not been paid to the demands of stakeholders and participatory management in Zagros forests.  The main objective of this research is studying the demands of various stakeholders in Zagros forests to determine the communication gaps and problems of participatory management. This research was carried out in Dashte-Barm watershed of Fars province, south-west of Zagros forest. In this research, with the questionnaire design based on Likert scale, the stakeholder’ demands of forest management plan (FMP) were studied. The result of research show the decentralization of management is most important element of stakeholder demands. Decentralization of management include giving the right of suffrage to the local resident, attention to traditional knowledge, participatory management and delegating authority to local units. It is important that the local inhabitants have the opportunity to periodically review the actions of municipal authorities and community representatives. No effort can succeed if the majority of the local inhabitants must follow rules and regulations that others can circumvent, thereby reaping lion’s share of the benefits.

Key words: Decentralization of management, Likert scale, traditional knowledge, participatory management.