Forest allocation, benefit sharing, and management practice in the KOBO
community forest among the Sheka peopleΟΕΟ
Abstract
Sheka people dependency on the Sheka forest has made the people of Sheka
create various techniques and strategies that are used to manage the
Sheka forest. In the indigenous culture of Sheka people, there is a
great deal of forest allocation, benefit sharing, and management
practice. Locally, these forests are known as KOBO. This is clearly
reflected in the KOBO forest allocation, benefit sharing, and management
culture. A framework based on ethnographic information is proposed in
this paper; accordingly, qualitative indicators are suggested for
different variables relating to indigenous forest allocation, benefit
sharing, and management practice among the Sheka people. In Sheka
culture, the clan leader (Gebi tato) allocates forests to each member of
the clan in the village. The management of the KOBO forest is the
responsibility of the individual KOBO holders. All members of the clan
who have the KOBO forest are entitled to get a share of the benefits
that are derived from the use of the KOBO forests. The KOBO forest is
the principal source of honey for the Sheka people. The production of
quality honey from the KOBO forest creates a huge market demand within
and outside the Sheka zone. In addition to the production of honey, the
KOBO forest is used for the extraction of trees for house building and
another household consumption. The paper concludes that the current KOBO
forest allocation, benefit sharing, and management practices could
substantially enhance sustainable forest management and social and
economic development of the Sheka people.ΟΕΖΠΠ