Kenya doctoral student Boscow Okumu will return to Cape Town, South Africa, late in October, following a four month study trip to the Nairobi School of Monetary Studies where he has been training alongside researchers from across the continent. This was part of a study elective that focused on environmental economics and econometrics.
Okumu, whose research will look at the incentives and attitudes towards forest conservation in his home country, says that focusing on these subjects will contribute towards shaping the ideas in his doctoral research, as well as streamline the study methodology.
‘My PhD research will look at how effective various community focused incentives are in conserving forests in Kenya,’ explains Okumu.
‘Previously, the state was solely responsible for forest conservation. But more recently, there has been a shift in focus, through a divestment process that has tried to involve communities, the private sector, and non-governmental organisations in the conservation process.’
The Kenyan state has given some power to community forest associations, so they have a say in how forests are managed and conserved, using various incentive schemes as a way of motivating community involvement. Some of these associations appear to work well, while other don’t.
‘I want to look at which empowerment incentives have worked in terms of promoting livelihoods as well as forest conservation, and which haven’t,’ says the Kenyan, who is based at the University of Cape Town’s Environmental Policy Research Unit (EPRU).
An example of an incentive is where a community is allowed to farm inside a forest, or extract forest products for their own benefit, but are required to look after young trees and promote the establishment of plantations. Once the trees are established, the community is then required to move out of that area and into another.
Local perception of these incentive schemes are also expected to have an influence on the effectiveness of forest conservation, something with Okumu says he will include in his study approach.
The study, still in an early stage, will take Okumu to associations operating in the Mau Complex, Mount Elgon, the Kakamega forest and Mount Kenya.
Okumu is joined by colleague, Mary Karumba, whose electives include environmental economics and development economics. Both will write exams based on the course work component of their PhDs in February 2015, before embarking on the research phase of their doctoral work.
by Leonie Joubert