The Impact of Population Growth on Forestry Development in East Wollega Zone: The Case of Haro Limu District

Deforestation is a growing problem in many parts of the tropical world and one of the affected countries is Ethiopia. The general objective of this study is to assess the effect of population growth on forest resource in East Wollega Zone in general and Haro Limu woreda in particular. The data used for the study were collected from 89 farm households heads drawn from the four kebeles of Haro Limmu district. Probability proportional to size sampling technique was employed to select the farm households from four peasant associations, which were selected by random sampling techniques. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire. In addition, secondary data were extracted from relevant sources to supplement the data obtained from the survey. The result of this study reveals that population growth huge impact on forestry development in the ways of expanding agricultural land, using wood as energy sources and satisfying the input requirements in agricultural activity. Respondents use family planning services in reducing the impact of population growth on the forestry development. Keywords: Population Growth, Forestry Development, Haro Limu, Ethiopi