The Human Impact on the Natural Environment of the Mbeya Highlands, Tanzania

Abstract

Pressure on land caused by an increase in human and livestock population, particularly since the early twentieth century, has had serious ecological effects in the Mbeya Highlands and surrounding lowlands. Forests and woodlands have been cleared indis- criminately for cultivation, and overgrazing and extensive wood cutting have occurred. The clearing of steep, unstable slopes has caused increased surface runoff, soil erosion, and land degradation. The concentration of people in Ujamaa villages seems to have aggravated the problem and there is annual flooding in the lowlands of Kyela due to increased surface runoff and silting of rivers. The degradation of land has forced many people to migrate to the surrounding lowlands and to other areas where arable land is still available.