Factors Conditioning Community Utilization of Environmental Education in Tanzania: The Case of Uluguru Mountains, Morogoro Municipality

Abstract

In order for the community to bring meaningful and sustainable environmental conservation and change, it must take action in implementing environmental education values acquired from environmental learning programmes and organizations. This study therefore aimed at assessing factors conditioning community implementation of environmental education in forest conservation. Cultural, neoclassical, political-ecology and impoverishment theories were used to guide this study. Case study research design and qualitative approach were employed. A sample of 20 informants was used and data were collected by the use of interview among community members. Content analysis was used in analysis of qualitative data whereby themes were established as sub headings. Findings indicate that land tenure, traditional beliefs (culture), poverty, and community involvements in logging activities are among the factors conditioning community implementation of environmental education values. Others findings were animal hunting and farming. Findings show that Land tenure system, community involvement in logging; traditional beliefs in sacred forests, animal hunting and farm preparation were factors conditioning community implementation of EE in Uluguru Mountains. This implies that these factors are the contributing factors to poor utilization of EE knowledge and therefore continued environmental degradation in the Uluguru Mountains. Keywords: factors, community, implementation, environmental education