ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEFORESTATION ON LIVELIHOOD IN KONDUGA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BORNO STATE

ABSTRACT This study assessed the impact of deforestation on livelihoods in Konduga Local Government Area, Borno State, Nigeria. The research was motivated by the escalating environmental degradation and its attendant livelihood challenges, which exacerbate poverty and food insecurity in the region. Guided by the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF), the study analyzed the complex relationships between forest loss and community assets. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a household survey of 300 respondents, selected through a multi-stage sampling technique, with Focus Group Discussions and key informant interviews to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Findings reveal that agricultural expansion was the predominant driver of deforestation, identified by 80% of respondents. The impacts on livelihoods were profound and multifaceted: 85% of households reported a decrease in income, and 90% reported a decline in crop yields due to soil degradation. The study also identified significant gendered impacts, with women and children bearing a disproportionate burden of increased fuelwood collection time, leading to "time poverty" and reduced school attendance for girls. To cope, households primarily engaged in livelihood diversification (70%) and reducing meal portions (65%). A cross-tabulation analysis confirmed that agricultural-dependent households were the most severely affected. The study concludes that deforestation in Konduga constitutes a critical livelihood crisis, systematically eroding the natural, physical, human, and financial capital that underpin community resilience. The observed coping strategies are largely distress-driven and unsustainable. The study therefore recommends a multi-faceted approach, including promoting sustainable agricultural intensification, investing in alternative livelihoods, providing affordable alternative energy sources, and strengthening community-based forest management. These actions are essential to break the cycle of environmental degradation and poverty in the region. Keywords: Deforestation, Livelihoods, Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, Environmental Degradation, and Nigeria.