Understanding community awareness, knowledge and perceived importance of Land-Use Plans and Village Land Forest Reserves in the context of REDD+ in Tanzania

Abstract

Knowing the community level of awareness and knowledge of village participatory land use plans (VPLUPs) and village land forest reserves (VLFRs) and their perceived importance thereof, can form a way of improving the plans and forests governance in the context of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), a global initiative to climate change measure. Thus, this study assessed community awareness, knowledge and perceived importance of VPLUPs and VLFRs in a REDD+ initiative in Tanzania. A mixed-method research design was adopted to collect data through participatory-community mapping (4 cases), focus group discussions (12 cases), key informant interviews (12 cases), direct observation and household interviews (328 cases). Results revealed that respondents were significantly aware of VPLUPs and VLFRs and were well-informed about VLFRs. However, they were ill-informed about the specified procedures of conducting VPLUPs. The community attached high value to VPLUPs and VLFRs. The residence period and household size of respondents emerged as the most important factors that significantly drive community awareness of VPLUPs and VLFRs respectively. The study recommends the use of the strategy (participatory approach) employed by the project proponents to implement VPLUPs and VLFRs.