Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) efforts are critical for sustainable natural resource governance in Northwest Ethiopia. This study investigated the various aspects of CBFM, emphasizing practical implementation in the context of the Awi Administrative Zone, Northwest Ethiopia. A structured questionnaire was handed out to 412 farmers across three districts—Dangila, Fagita Lokoma, and Banja. The quantitative data was analyzed using the Likert scale with SPSS version 23 software. Findings indicate that insufficient financial support (44%), limited community participation (30%), and weak institutional arrangements (19%) are the major factors impeding effective CBFM, with statistically significant regional variation (χ² = 242.8, df = 3, p = 0.000). On the other side, increased awareness and international support (34%) and enhanced local participation (36%) were the leading facilitators (χ² = 512.05, df = 11, p = 0.000). We look at the practical aspects of CBFM, from community-led conservation efforts to sustainable harvesting techniques, emphasizing the importance of indigenous knowledge alongside modern methodologies. The CBFM project in the northwest part of Ethiopia have facilitated biodiversity protection and environmental resilience by integrating local perspectives with broader developmental goals. However, obstacles such as land tenure, resource conflicts, and capacity restrictions continue, requiring adaptive methods and legislative reforms. This paper contributes to the ongoing discussion on sustainable natural resource management by offering empirical insights into the dynamics of CBFM in the Awi administrative zone of northwest Ethiopia.

Community-based Forest management (CBFM) has emerged as a promising approach for reconciling biodiversity conservation with rural livelihoods. However, despite its growing implementation in Ethiopia, limited empirical evidence exists on how CBFM influences biodiversity outcomes and socioeconomic conditions across different local contexts. This study addressed this gap by examining the biodiversity outcomes and socioeconomic implications of CBFM across three districts in Northwest Ethiopia—Dangila, Fagita–Lokoma, and Banja—where forests are communally managed. A structured questionnaire was administered to 412 randomly selected farmers, and responses were analyzed quantitatively using Likert scale ratings, descriptive statistics, and chi-square tests in SPSS Version 23. The findings revealed statistically significant variations among districts in terms of community engagement in conservation, awareness of environmental policies, and involvement in habitat restoration efforts. Fagita–Lokoma showed the highest levels of participation and knowledge regarding conservation laws (χ² = 11.81, p < 0.019; χ² = 13.3, p = 0.01) as well as active involvement in habitat restoration (χ² = 301, p = 0.000). These differences appear to be associated with stronger local governance structures and greater livelihood dependence on forest resources in Fagita–Lokoma than in the other districts. It consistently demonstrated the highest levels of participation and knowledge, whereas Banja had the lowest levels. Most respondents (76.7%) indicated that socioeconomic interests, particularly related to timber, wildlife, and tourism, were key drivers of their conservation activities. While the economic benefits of biodiversity were generally perceived as moderate, the cost of conservation was seen as low to medium by 65% of participants. These results highlight the critical role of community participation and local awareness in shaping the outcomes of biodiversity conservation. This study concluded that CBFM can achieve positive biodiversity results when local livelihood interests are effectively aligned with ecological goals through inclusive and well-supported governance frameworks.

Bread wheat serves as a crucial staple crop globally, including in Ethiopia, but faces challenges related to yield reduction due to environmental constraints. Consequently, this research aimed to assess the phenotypic variability and performance of 12 bread wheat genotypes for grain yield (GY) and yield‐related traits in northwest Ethiopia. The field experiment was conducted over 2 years in two environments (Ayehu Guagusa and Dangila). A third environment (Guagusa Shekudad) was added during the second cropping season, making the total number of environments three. These experiments were conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications during the main cropping seasons of 2021/2022 and 2022/2023. The combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a highly significant ( p < 0.001) interaction between environments and genotypes for all traits, except plant height (PH). These results suggest that the genotype effect had a stronger influence than the environment, implying high heritability values and potential for successful genotype selection in broader adaptation areas. The combined analysis across two environments over 2 years showed that the broad‐sense heritability values ranged from 58.82% for aboveground biomass (AGB) to 100% for GY. Notably, the ANOVA revealed high heritability associated with significant genetic advance (GA) as a percent of mean for traits such as the number of tillers per plant (TPP) (78.57%, 34.4%), PH (93.11%, 25.38%), spike length (SL) (71.08%, 20.25%), 1000‐kernel weight (TKW) (71.04%, 24.38%), harvest index (HI) (71.11%, 22%), and GY (100% and 30.4%), respectively. Therefore, these traits should be a focus in the bread wheat breeding program, as their phenotypic expression is influenced by additive gene action. Consequently, direct selection for these traits will enhance GY. From the combined analysis of 2 years over two locations, and for the second cropping season at three locations for 1 year, the genotypes G6 (2.78 t/ha, 3.57 t/ha), G7 (2.84 t/ha, 3.58 t/ha), G8 (2.87 t/ha, 3.48 t/ha), and G12 (2.83 t/ha, 3.26 t/ha), respectively, demonstrated the highest GY performance across the environments and are recommended for local farmers. These findings provide valuable insights into the genetic potential of the tested bread wheat genotypes, which can be utilized in breeding programs to develop high‐yielding and well‐adapted cultivars for the study area.