Coastal communities’ livelihoods conditioned by resource use dynamics and changing environments in Lindi Region, South-Eastern Tanzania

Abstract

Coastal and marine resources are significant drivers of coastal livelihoods, population growth along the coast, and boosting farm and off-farm job generation. However, the use of coastal resources has been extremely variable, resulting in ups and downs in the productivity of coastal communities. This cross-sectional study investigated the root causes of these coastal resource dynamics and how they affect household livelihood. The household questionnaire survey was used as the main instrument, aided by focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observations in data collection. Data were collected from 100 randomly selected households, four focus groups (one for each ward), and eight key informant interviews. Household shocks (both climate and non-climate), livelihood diversification, government policy changes, and aging all influence household decisions on which livelihood alternative to pursuing. Coastal and marine resource extraction, on the other hand, increases or decreases in magnitude as households strive to sustain income levels, driven by prices set by demand and supply in the phases of environmental change. Changes in fiscal gains cause the linear relationship between yield and natural resource utilization. Nonetheless, the low productivity of coastal and marine ecosystems and terrestrial ecosystems, as a result of environmental change, has prompted the deployment of modern resource extraction methods to adapt to the changing environment. Nonetheless, despite the paradox, the natural gas discovery gives coastal towns a new hope for survival. Apart from investments, policies must address the lack of access to current technologies, the compensation range, and support for community livelihoods.