People's perceptions and attitudes towards cutting down of trees in chief Moono's area-Mumbwa

Maguswi, Mazuba

People's perceptions and attitudes towards cutting down of trees in chief Moono's area-Mumbwa

Date

2015-06-04

Authors

Maguswi, Mazuba

Abstract

The world's forests are disappearing at a very fast rate due to cutting down of trees indiscriminately. In Africa most people live under the poverty datum line. Therefore, when it comes to economic status, a number of people have quite low income to sustain themselves in the day to day life. The only way possible to earn a living besides subsistence agriculture is to exploit the natural resources for example trees to make charcoal and other products. This creates competition among the people forcing them cut down trees indiscriminately regardless of the size and volume of trees. Very few, if any are concerned with the adverse effect, that come about from such activities. Hence the perceptions and attitudes of cutting down trees among most people in low income areas leaves much to be desired. Using structured interviews to obtain information pertaining to people's perceptions and attitudes to cutting down trees and by way of formulating hypotheses to test for significance in Chief Moono's area of Mumbwa a number of factor were established. Among most people in Chief Moono's area, low socio economic status was found to be one of the factors that influence people's perceptions and attitudes towards cutting down trees. And that a number of people are not really concerned with the conservation of trees, while males and females have similar views on the need to protect trees. Moreover, other factors like education, cultural beliefs and age seem to affect the perceptions and attitudes of people to cutting down of trees in Chief Moono's area.