ANTHROPOGENIC PRACTICES INFLUENCING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF HOUSEHOLD LIVELIHOODS SURROUNDING MOUNT ELGON FOREST RESERVE, BUNGOMA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Over the past three decades, the Mount Elgon Forest Reserve in Bungoma County, Kenya, has experienced considerable environmental degradation largely driven by anthropogenic practices associated with household livelihood strategies. Forest-adjacent communities depend heavily on forest resources for subsistence and income, resulting in deforestation, settlement expansion, and small-scale mining. While these activities provide immediate livelihood benefits, they undermine biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and the long-term sustainability of household livelihoods. This study examined the influence of anthropogenic practices on the sustainability of household livelihoods in the Mount Elgon Forest Reserve area, Bungoma County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to assess the influence of deforestation, settlement, and mining activities on sustainable household livelihoods and to explore interventions for the sustainable utilization of forest resources. The study was anchored on the Sustainable Livelihood Framework by Chambers and Conway (1992) and Stakeholder Theory by Freeman (1984). A cross-sectional research design employing a mixed-methods approach was adopted. The target population comprised 12,842 household heads, four ward administrators, twelve chiefs, one Kenya Forest Service officer, and one National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) official. A sample of 373 household heads was selected using multistage and stratified random sampling, while key informants were purposively selected. Data were collected using questionnaires, interview guides, and focus group discussions. Instrument validity was established through expert review, while reliability was confirmed through piloting and computation of Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential techniques, including Pearson correlation and linear regression, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed. The findings revealed statistically significant positive relationships between deforestation activities (r = .682, p < .001), settlement activities (r = .614, p < .001), mining activities (r = .762, p < .001), and sustainable forest utilization interventions (r = .792, p < .001) with household livelihood sustainability. Collectively, these variables accounted for 75.5% of the variation in sustainable household livelihoods among forest-edge communities. The study concludes that anthropogenic practices play a dual role in sustaining household livelihoods while simultaneously threatening the ecological integrity of the Mount Elgon Forest Reserve.

Without deliberate and coordinated interventions, continued reliance on unsustainable forest- based practices is likely to exacerbate environmental degradation and compromise future

livelihood security. The study recommends the strengthening of participatory forest management frameworks, promotion of alternative and climate-resilient livelihood options, enforcement of land-use regulations, and enhancement of community-based environmental education programs. Institutional collaboration among Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, NEMA, county governments, and local communities is critical for achieving sustainable forest resource management. Further research is recommended to examine the long-term impacts of climate change on forest-dependent livelihoods, evaluate the effectiveness of alternative livelihood interventions over time, and explore gender and youth dimensions in forest resource utilization and livelihood sustainability within the Mount Elgon ecosystem.