The objective of the study is to contribute to the sustainable governance of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) (Djangsa and Wild mangos) on rural livelihood of communities surrounding the rainforest in Yokadouma. The economic potential of Non-Forest Timber Products (NTFPs) and its influence on rural livelihood and development has made it a constant national and international policy debate. However, Cameroon policies and institutional Legal framework is inconsistent with the exploitation and valorisation of these important rural livelihood activities. This study was carried out in Yokadouma in the East Region of Cameroon between February and July of 2020. Respondents were drawn from a cross-section of NTFPs exploiters and marketers. Data was collected through the administration of semi-structured questionnaire design with the aim to answer the research objective. During the recognisances survey, 172 persons concerned in these activities were identified within the 09 villages in the Yokadouma division. Out of these 172 identified persons involved in this economic sector, 165 were interviewed accounting for 96%. Data analysis was done in SPSS version 21 software. Results showed that the NTFPs sector is organized by 02 actors within the value chain who are the producers and retailers. Economic analysis of value chain revealed that producers were able to make 272,780 and 322,367 FCFA per person per season form djansang and wild mangos respectively. The constraints to sustainable management of NTFPs are the gradual disappearance of these tree species, instability of the production cycle, and stumpy involve-How to cite this paper: Shidiki, A. A., Zanguim, T. G. H., & Tchamba. N. M. (2021). Governance of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) Djansang (Ricinodendron heudelotii) and Wild Mango (Irvingia gabonensis) and Its Influence on the Livelihood of Rural Communities of Yokadouma in the East Region of Cameroon. Open
Local communities living around protected areas stand high chance of benefiting from economic development and livelihood improvement through ecotourism if well planned. The objective of this study was to contribute to the understanding of stakeholders' opinions on the valorization of ecotourism in order to propose alternative sustainable strategies. The study used a research method based on purposive sampling. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 125 household heads and 10 stakeholders were also interviewed with a question guide. The results were inputted into a student statistical package (SPSS) version 16. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square was used to compare means. The results revealed that the test of dependence (Chi 2 ) between the variables showed a significant difference at (p < 0.05). 51.9% of the respondent in ZIC 5 said that ecotourism has increased employment while respondents in the other sectors (ZIC 1, 4 and 9) who make up 76% of the respondents said ecotourism-related jobs in the park are seasonal and not frequent. Regarding the dependence of local communities on the park's resources, 25% of ZIC 5 is highly dependent on the park, whereas, in the other sectors, only 18% are dependent on the park for their household income. This result is explained by the inaccessibility of local communities to the parks. The results of the impacts of ecotourism on the livelihoods of communities in localities reflect a general feeling of dissatisfaction with 88.8% of respondents manifesting their dissatisfaction with park authorities. Thus, 87.2% of respondents think that ecotourism does not bring significant economic benefits to the host communities. If ecotourism was planned, the benefits that accrue from activity could boost the economy of the area and support the conservation of the park, which so far remains
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.