Adaptive strategy of countryside residents in Okomu National Park (ONP) support zone community of Edo State, Nigeria
Paper Details
Adaptive strategy of countryside residents in Okomu National Park (ONP) support zone community of Edo State, Nigeria
Abstract
This study examined the adaptive strategy of countryside residents by Okomu National Park, Edo State during Covid-19 lockdown. Multistage sampling was used to select 150 respondents from five support zone community around the park and twenty staff of the park. Information on forest-based activities and encroachment level before and after covid-19 lockdown was obtained using two sets of questionnaire. A 5-point likert scale ranked forest based activities; regression analysis determined the effect of socio-economic variable on involvement in forest based activities, 3-point scale ranked encroachment level while t-test tested for significance in encroachment level before and after the lockdown. Married (67.3%) young adults of 31-50 oldness (82.0%) dominated the community with 70.0% farmers with no personal land (58.0%). Farming (4.28±0.06), logging (3.59±0.10), hunting (2.95±0.09); and logging (4.80±0.14), hunting (4.80±0.14) and farming (3.40±0.23) dominated the forest-based activities by community and staff respectively. Regression analysis shows that increase in monthly income and education reduced involvement in forest-based activities. Encroachment level before and after lockdown was 1.89±0.06 and 2.39±0.06 (community); and 2.15±0.13 and 2.85±0.08 (staff), respectively. Significant difference was observed in encroachment level (-0.5±0.05-community and -0.7±0.02-staff) before and after covid-19 lockdown. Education of residents and adoption of agro-forestry in buffer zone to ensure residents’ farmer accessibility to land is recommended to minimize the destruction of the park.
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