Community Participation in the Restoration of the Numbieng Watershed Protection Forest, Bieng District, Udomxay Province: Case Study of Three Villages: Nangiou, Thakat and Pangdeua

Abstract

This study aimed to (1) investigate community participation in the restoration of the Numbieng watershed protection forest, Bieng District, Udomxay Province, and (2) identify factors associated with that participation. Data were collected through structured interviews using a validated questionnaire with a random sample of 208 households from three villages. Results showed that the highest participation was in forest boundary demarcation (Mean = 4.21), followed by planning, tree planting, boundary marking, and the lowest in patrol and monitoring (Mean = 1.95). Statistically significant factors (p≤0.05) included gender, education level, occupation, income, and ethnicity. Age and marital status showed no significant association. It can be concluded that basic factors such as gender, education level, occupation, income, and ethnicity have an impact on participation in the restoration of the Numbieng Watershed Protection Forest, Bieng District, Udomxay.