Who benefits from forest co-management? Heterogeneous welfare effects under rainfall shocks in Malawi
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19587176 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Prosper Salumu Kimwanga (0009-0007-8884-197X, Mzuzu University, corresponding author), Mavuto Tembo (0000-0001-9730-9562, Mzuzu University), Kelvin Mulungu (0000-0002-4904-4122, World Health Organization - Zambia), Bruno Kokouvi Kokou (0009-0006-0852-1232, Mzuzu University), Ulemu Msiska (Mzuzu University), Fanuel Kapute (0000-0002-6885-442X, Mzuzu University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 24 |
| Pages | 101185 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Trees Forests and People (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2666-7193 • E-ISSN: 2666-7193 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.tfp.2026.101185 |
| OpenAlex | W7128533242 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 55 |
Socioeconomic, biophysical and institutional factors significantly influence the likelihood of a household's participation in VNRMCs across Malawi • Forest co-management participation through VNRMC membership significantly improves household welfare across forest reserve landscapes. • VNRMC membership’s effect is spatially heterogeneous across forest reserve landscapes • Household participation in VNRMCs helps safeguard forestry income against rainfall shocks • Participation in VNRMCs significantly reduces per capita income disparities within households bordering forest reserves in Malawi In Malawi, smallholder households bordering protected forests are structurally vulnerable to weather shocks with limited institutional coping strategies. In the context of climate change, wild resource co-management may provide a key mechanism for improving household welfare and reducing inequalities among riparian communities. Based on a field survey of 743 smallholder households’ data coupled with georeferenced rainfall and forest cover data across seven forest reserve landscapes in Malawi, this study empirically analyses the impact of participation in Village Natural Resource Management Committees (VRNMCs) on household welfare, income inequality, as well as its safety net role in the aftermath of rainfall shocks. Employing IPWRA, PSM, and quantile regression methods, the study shows the following results: First, socioeconomic, biophysical, and institutional factors significantly influence the likelihood of household participation in VNRMCs. Second, despite the disparities within forest landscapes,VNRMC membership significantly increases forestry income, non-forestry income, the consumer durable index, and food consumption score. Third, household involvement in VNRMCs helps safeguard forestry income from rainfall shocks, although the effect remains spatially heterogeneous. Fourth, in the context of weather shocks, participation in forest co-management significantly reduces per capita income disparities within households bordering forest reserves in Malawi, particularly for the lowest-income households. This study highlights the need for the Malawian Department of Forestry, donors, and local communities to strengthen participatory management of natural resources for pro-poor conservation purposes in the context of weather shocks. Longitudinal and panel studies are required for further field-based evidence
Consumption (sociology) · Context (archaeology) · Forest management · Household income · Inequality · Per capita · Quantile regression · Welfare · Agricultural Innovations and Practices · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Land Use and Ecosystem Services
Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020
Can Agricultural Cooperatives Reduce Poverty? Heterogeneous Impact of Cooperative Membership on Farmers' Welfare in Rwanda
Google Earth Engine
Parametric and non-parametric estimates of willingness to pay for weather index insurance in Malawi
Monitoring and management of common property resources
What factors influence women’s participation in co-management? A case study of Sundarban mangrove forest management in Bangladesh
Impact of Weather Shocks on Food Security
Determinants of farm households’ participation in collective forest management
Factors determining the participation of natural resource cooperative members in forest management
The Local Turn
Land use and household energy dynamics in Malawi
Forest power
Measuring the forest and income impacts of forest user group participation under Malawi's Forest Co-management Program
Does forest access reduce reliance on costly shock-coping strategies? Evidence from Malawi
A global analysis of the social and environmental outcomes of community forests
Disparities in the impacts of co-management on fishers’ livelihoods
Household participation and effects of community forest management on income and poverty levels
Importance, determinants and gender dimensions of forest income in eastern highlands of Ethiopia
Understanding forest users' participation in participatory forest management (PFM)
Impacts of extension access and cooperative membership on technology adoption and household welfare
Estimating effects of cooperative membership on farmers’ safe production behaviors
Environmental Income and Rural Livelihoods
How do forests contribute to food security following a weather shock? Evidence from Malawi
Welfare and forest cover impacts of incentive based conservation
The benefits and limitations of agricultural input cooperatives in Zambia
Do Forests Help Rural Households Adapt to Climate Variability? Evidence from Southern Malawi
Challenging Perceptions about Men, Women, and Forest Product Use
Decentralised forest management
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |