Conservation and Development—A Study of the Production and Use of Lime in East Africa

Abstract

In some regions of Africa, lime is as important a traditional building material as it used to be in the United Kingdom. This is certainly the case on the islands off the East African coast, such as Zanzibar, and still to some extent in the coastal belt itself. There are signs, however, that its use in building is on the decline, that traditional skills of production and application are being lost, and that Portland cement is taking over. This has been a trend in the United Kingdom, but can it be reversed in Africa and would it be desirable to do so?This paper looks at the traditional use and production of lime in Zanzibar, where it is still important and where the Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) has had the opportunity to provide some assistance. It looks at some of the constraints in Zanzibar and how these could be resolved. Moving on from there, it considers the situation on the East African mainland, where the production and use of lime has probably declined, and discusses the underlying development issues.