Ambio. 2025 Nov 27. doi: 10.1007/s13280-025-02278-7. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Community-based forest management (CBFM) is widely promoted as a strategy that links forest management with local livelihoods through participatory governance. This global review used novel systematic review methods to evaluate predictors of people’s participation in CBFM. Based on 66 cases from 47 studies across 18 countries, we identified 248 predictors that have been used to explain people’s participation in CBFM and categorized them into seven broad categories. While demographics, household size, and landholding size are the most frequently tested, factors such as off-farm household income, leadership style, and forest condition are less commonly tested yet more often statistically significantly related to participation in CBFM. The meta-regression revealed that the specific type of CBFM (the institutional model) moderates the effects of certain predictors. These results highlight the multifaceted and context-specific drivers of participation in CBFM, underscoring the need for both household- and community-level strategies to foster effective forest governance.
PMID:41310143 | DOI:10.1007/s13280-025-02278-7
