Conservation In Tanzania Research Articles

Medicinal plant use and conservation in Tanzania: perspectives from university of Dodoma students

Limited access to modern medicine has led to a continued reliance on herbal remedies, yet many medicinal plant species face threats of endangerment. The study examined the use and conservation of medicinal plants in Tanzania, highlighting their essential role in healthcare and biodiversity preservation. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 395 undergraduate students at the University of Dodoma, representing 19 regions across Tanzania. The study explored patterns of herbal medicine use, conditions treated, and conservation practices. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression, assessed associations between key variables. Findings revealed that 64% of participants used herbal medicines. The students identified 26 plant species used as remedies for various ailments. Aloe spp. and Azadirachta indica being the most commonly utilised species. About 69% relied on these remedies for specific health conditions, while others used them for immunity enhancement, skincare, and weight management. The most frequently treated ailments included gastrointestinal disorders, urogenital issues, and skin conditions. The likelihood of medicinal plant use was significantly associated with gender, area of residence, family economic activity, and students’ year of study. Conservation measures reported included seed preservation, domestication, and adherence to traditional harvesting practices. The findings highlight the need to integrate traditional medicine into national health policies to improve healthcare accessibility while ensuring the sustainable use of medicinal plants. Strengthening regulatory frameworks and enhancing community involvement in conservation efforts are recommended to safeguard endangered species and promote long-term sustainability.

Households' willingness to pay for river-transported nutrients: insights for floodplain conservation in Tanzania.

Despite the crucial role of river-transported nutrients in supporting floodplain agriculture, their economic value remains largely unrecognized in Tanzania, as they are often perceived as free public goods not traded in markets. As a result, their value is overlooked in agricultural production decisions, leading to the overexploitation of floodplains. This study employs a choice experiment method to estimate households' willingness to pay for nutrients transported by the Rufiji River to floodplain farms in the Lower Rufiji Sub-Basin. A simple random sampling approach was used to select 391 households in Rufiji District. The choice experiment included four attributes: nutrient availability, cultivated land area, environmental conservation programs, and payment. Data were collected through a household survey using choice cards and analyzed using both conditional and random parameter logit models. The findings reveal that households are willing to pay TZS 769.20 ($0.29) per acre per year for a 25% increase in nutrient availability, TZS 452.30 ($0.17) per acre per year for environmental conservation programs, and TZS 227.60 ($0.086) per acre per year for a 10% expansion in cultivated land area. In total, they are willing to pay TZS 1,449.10 ($0.55) annually for each acre of farm benefiting from river-transported nutrients. These results provide insights into the shadow price of river-transported nutrients, which could inform policies aimed at recognizing their economic value. To address their current undervaluation and enhance floodplain conservation efforts, this study recommends that policy makers incorporate the estimated value into economic decision-making processes, particularly those related to floodplain agriculture.

Decentralisation of Wildlife Conservation in Tanzania: Analysing Stakeholders' Power Relationship in Makao Wildlife Management Area

This paper examined power devolution in Makao Wildlife Management Area (WMA) using the descriptive research design. Three villages, Jinamo, Mwabagimu, and Makao, were purposively selected out of seven villages. The data collection method included questionnaires (281 heads of households), key informant interviews (9), focus group discussions (1 in each village), and a literature review. Results showed that WMA actors were internal (local community) and external (State agencies and investors). External actors were powerful and influenced most decisions in WMA, hence the lack of power devolution. Results further showed that the state remains a very authoritative player in all decision-making processes where stakeholders in the whole process are practically powerless, and formations of Authorised Associations do not empower the local communities. The study found several effects of power disparities like limited resource access, ineffective conflict resolution, insufficient enforcement of regulations and reduced accountability. This study recommends advocacy for local 'community empowerment to minimise power disparity among WMA actors through legal and policy reforms.

Reconceiving Environmental Justice: A Capabilities Approach to Reconciling Conservation, Culture, and Community Rights in Tanzania

This paper reimagines environmental justice through the lens of the ‘capabilities approach,’ a framework developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, to address the ethical challenges of environmental conservation in Tanzania, particularly in eviction contexts. It argues that environmental justice must prioritize the diverse capabilities of affected communities, allowing for localized responses to climate change and safeguarding cultural identity. Drawing on the ongoing land disputes across Tanzania, particularly in Ngorongoro, this paper emphasizes the necessity of a community-centred approach that carefully balances land rights, cultural preservation, and the well-being of affected communities. It calls for a rethinking of conventional justice frameworks to more accurately address the experiences and needs of marginalized groups, while advocating for the incorporation of Indigenous perspectives into environmental conservation policies and practices.

Conservation and Avoided Deforestation: Evidence from Protected Areas of Tanzania

Tanzania dedicates a substantial proportion (38%) of its territory to conservation, with a large number of Protected Areas (PAs) managed under various regimes. Nevertheless, the country still experiences high rates of deforestation, which threaten the ecological integrity and socio-economic benefits of its forests. We utilized the Global Forest Change Dataset (2012–2022) and implemented a Propensity Score Matching (PSM) approach followed by a series of binomial logit regression modeling. Our objectives were to evaluate (1) the likelihood of PAs in avoiding deforestation compared with unprotected forest landscapes, (2) the variability in effectiveness among the different PA management regimes in avoiding deforestation, (3) evidence of leakage, defined here as the displacement of deforestation beyond PA boundaries as a result of protection inside PAs. Our findings reveal that, despite ongoing deforestation within and outside of PAs, conservation efforts are, on average, three times more likely to avoid deforestation compared with unprotected landscapes. However, the effectiveness of avoiding deforestation significantly varies among the different management regimes. National Parks and Game Reserves are nearly ten times more successful in avoiding deforestation, likely because of the stringent set of regulations and availability of resources for implementation. Conversely, Nature Forest Reserves, Game Controlled Areas, and Forest Reserves are, on average, only twice as likely to avoid deforestation, indicating substantial room for improvement. We found little evidence of the overall leakage as a consequence of protection. These results highlight the mixed success of Tanzania’s conservation efforts, suggesting opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of many less protected PAs. We conclude by proposing potential strategic pathways to enhance further the climate and ecosystem benefits of conservation in Tanzania.

Habitat destruction and implications for wildlife conservation in protected areas, Tanzania

ABSTRACT Protected areas maintain the ecosystem and conserve wildlife, but they face threats from habitat destruction. This paper assesses the drivers of habitat destruction and their implications on wildlife conservation in Tanzania. Data were collected from 607 respondents using a questionnaire and Landsat 8 Operational Land images from 2013 to 2023 to detect land use changes in the Makao Wildlife Management area. A multiple regression model analysed the relationship between habitat destruction (dependent variables) and human population increase, crop cultivation, livestock grazing, inadequate economic incentives, and wildlife population (independent variables). Between 2013 and 2023, agricultural and settlement areas increased by 39% and 686%, while Makao WMA and water bodies decreased by 11% and 39%. Human population (p .0095), crop cultivation (p .0024), and livestock grazing (p .0033) significantly contributed to habitat destruction. Community engagement is essential to promote sustainable conservation and mitigation of impacts to ensure Wildlife Management Areas remain healthy and viable for wildlife.

The influence of conservation policies and legislations on communities in Tanzania

Benefit-sharing mechanisms have been instrumental in securing the support of local communities living on the edge of protected areas, and in resolving human-wildlife conflicts. Understanding how current conservation policies influence benefit-sharing and the management of human-wildlife conflicts is vital for designing strong mechanisms to achieve both conservation and ethical community outcomes. Here we examined how benefit-sharing and human-wildlife conflicts are acknowledged and addressed within the current conservation policies (wildlife policies, legislations, regulations and strategic plans) using the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem (GSE) as a case study. The fourteen policies focusing primarily on wildlife conservation in Tanzania are analysed. We also drew on the findings of three studies conducted during 2021 and 2022 documenting community interactions with wildlife and adjacent protected areas. These studies covered the types of benefit provided by various conservation institutions to local communities, the effectiveness of benefit-sharing mechanisms, and the conservation-related losses incurred by communities. The study uncovered a wide range of benefits provided to local communities in the form of social amenities, livelihood support and employment. However, the losses and costs experienced are far greater than these benefits. Integrating these findings with policy analysis, we identified that the main limitations reducing the impacts of benefits in motivating positive conservation behaviours to be: losses of livestock and crops were more than four times the value of benefits/compensation offered to communities; a lack of details and clarity of benefit-sharing mechanisms; benefit/conservation rates that have not been indexed against inflation and; shortcomings in implementation. To achieve conservation outcomes, we recommend revising the conservation policies and legislation across the country in collaboration with local communities who experience the impacts of conservation in their day-to-day life. We also propose a coordinated approach for all conservation institutions managing wildlife to address widespread human-wildlife conflicts across the country effectively and to achieve better conservation outcomes rather than leaving that task to a single organization (i.e. Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority).

Illegal Activities for Survival: Understanding the Influence of Household Livelihood Security on Biodiversity Conservation in Tanzania

Illegal access of resources within protected areas to meet basic needs plays a significant role in the interaction between individuals, protected areas, and neighboring communities in Africa. However, our understanding of how household livelihoods are linked to this type of illegal access at a household level is limited. Additionally, research on poaching tends to focus on commercial poaching and wildlife trafficking. This study addresses this gap by examining the complex relationship between three types of livelihood security (i.e., food security, financial security, and educational security) and the likelihood of participating in illegal activities in communities surrounding Tanzania’s Mkomazi National Park. To gather data, we surveyed 267 heads of household in 8 villages that were randomly selected out of the 22 villages that border Mkomazi National Park. Structural modeling analysis was used to analyze the data. Our findings indicate that food security is the primary driver of engagement in illegal activities within the park; education security and financial security have limited influence on the likelihood of subsistence poaching when accounting for food security. Interestingly, we observed a correlation between financial security and increased illegal grazing, which can be attributed to individuals with greater financial means purchasing more cattle and thereby increasing the demand for fodder. Addressing food security should be prioritized in efforts to mitigate subsistence poaching within protected areas. Our research highlights the importance of developing sustainable alternatives to ensure food security and meet other essential needs in communities adjacent to Mkomazi National Park. By striking a balance between improving livelihoods and fostering conservation efforts, conservation and development organizations can work towards a sustainable future for both protected areas and people.

Institutional reform to conserve wildlife in Makao, Tanzania

ABSTRACT The paper assesses the local communities’ interest in institutional reform in wildlife conservation in Tanzania. Data were collected from 281 heads of households through questionnaire surveys, interviews, focus group discussions and documentary review and analysed by content, thematic analysis, and SPSS version 21. The study found that the local community was generally excluded from decision-making on the Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The wildlife-related benefits did not reach the household, reducing the community’s interest in supporting wildlife conservation. The local community should be required by law to participate in establishing and managing WMA to ensure full participation in planning, management, and benefit sharing from wildlife resources.

Communities' awareness of afforestation and its contribution to the conservation of lizards in Dodoma, Tanzania

Afforestation is providing the remedy for deforestation, which is among the greatest challenges of biodiversity conservation in Tanzania. Efforts for afforestation are taking place in Dodoma, which are anticipated to have social and ecological positive effects. This study provides information on the perception of local communities towards afforestation and how afforestation can harbor other wildlife species like lizards. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information from respondents who were chosen at random in the afforestation area. Pitfalls and direct observation under constrained time intervals were used to sample lizards in two categories of vegetation (afforested and non-afforested areas; n = 1040 samples). Awareness of afforestation was significantly affected by age group (P < 0.005) and nature of course taking. In this case, those who studied natural courses like biology, forest, and aquatic science were more aware of afforestation and they had a likelihood of being involved in afforestation programs (P < 0.05). Eight species of lizards were identified in the study area where seven species were found in afforested areas while three were found in non-afforested areas, where Agama lionotus was the dominant species. The diversity of lizards was higher in afforested areas (Shannon Weiner index H = 1.37) than in non-afforested areas (Shannon Weiner index H = 0.99). More afforestation program awareness and conservation education are required to ensure the sustainability of afforestation efforts in Dodoma. Afforestation showed a significant contribution to the conservation of lizards. Lizards can be used as good indicator species to understand and monitor the success of afforestation.

Awareness of urban communities on biodiversity conservation in Tanzania’s protected areas

Awareness of urban communities on biodiversity conservation in Tanzania’s protected areas

Wildlife conservation in Tanzania

Abstract

Modelling landscape connectivity change for chimpanzee conservation in Tanzania

Modelling landscape connectivity change for chimpanzee conservation in Tanzania

Radio Communication for Forest Conservation in Tanzania: a SWOC Analysis

Abstract This study investigated the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges (SWOC) associated with the power of radio in communicating forests information to enhance community responsiveness to forest conservation in Tanzania. Data collection entailed the analysis of the content of a series of Urithi Wetu (Our Heritage) programme produced and aired by the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) radio, conducting interviews with key informants, administering questionnaires with citizens living adjacent to forests, and holding focus group discussions (FGDs) with the villagers in the study area. The study established that, to some extent, radio presents some opportunities for easy communication of forest conservation information in a bid to influence communities to take the intended conservation action. On the other hand, the study found that factors such as poor packaging of forest information, lack of participation of the rural-based citizens in the programmes, and poverty among community members limited the power of the radio to influence effectively citizens to conserve forests.

Land-Use Planning, Digital Technologies, and Environmental Conservation in Tanzania

Participatory land-use planning (LUP) is often promoted as a solution to various environment-related challenges. In Tanzania, planning processes often represent a stage in the conversion of village lands to different uses, such as wildlife conservation or large-scale farming. LUP in Tanzania is frequently dominated by powerful local, national, or international elites, resulting in loss of rights over village land despite the opposition of many villagers. Contemporary planning involves digital technologies such as global positioning system units, which enable easier storage and sharing of geospatial data. Using assemblage theory, and based on key informant interviews conducted in Arusha and Kilimanjaro Regions of Tanzania in 2015, this article shows that LUP, particularly when it involves digital technologies, is used to not only to change land uses but also to strengthen linkages between different organizations, reinforce certain narratives of environmental change, and legitimize particular forms of external intervention.

Assemblages of forest conservation in Tanzania: gradients between chiefs, snakes, spirits and witches

Sacred natural sites are the oldest form of protection for non-human species and landscapes, and remain significant for conservation and development. This paper critically interrogates the role of spiritual worldviews and witchcraft in protected areas. Drawing on research in Mbozi District, Tanzania, we discuss the entanglements between spiritual worldviews, witchcraft, political leadership, religion and non-humans. Adopting assemblage as a conceptual framework offers possibilities to examine the agencies that tangible and intangible forms non-humans and human organisations have in conservation. Employing assemblage concepts including gradients, territorialisation and deterritorialisation, this paper argues for recognition of the complex assemblages between development, conservation and rationality.

Hotspot elephant-poaching areas in the Eastern Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Elephant poaching is a significant problem in many parts of Africa, including Tanzania. This study identifies areas within the Eastern Selous Game Reserve (ESGR) that are at a higher risk of elephant poaching for the illegal ivory trade. We obtained data on the distribution of poached elephants and the seasons of poaching from 2008 to 2013 from the elephant mortality database of the Selous Game Reserve in the eastern and north-eastern sectors. The incidences of poaching were higher during the wet season. The hot spots of elephant poaching were observed on the edges of the ESGR. This finding was attributed to the involvement of local people adjacent to the ESGR in poaching activities due to a lack of economic opportunities. This study will serve as a tool to guide and inform reserve managers involved in wildlife conservation in Tanzania. Recommended solutions to address the problem of elephant poaching are improved economic opportunities for local people, enhanced conservation education and research and improved governance and law enforcement.

Elite discourses of conservation in Tanzania

ABSTRACTThis paper examines how the discursive politics of conservation, shaped within an elite global tourism political economy, directly influences the tactics of community groups, government officials and foreign tourism companies, and reproduces the meaning of conservation and rights in places like Tanzania. I examine how a recent online campaign to “save the Serengeti” builds on persistent elitist discourses of westerners saving African wildlife while also saving Africans from themselves. This discourse continues to shape struggles over land for tourism and local livelihoods.

Failure by Design? Revisiting Tanzania′s Flagship Wildlife Management Area Burunge

In this paper, we revisit the on-the-ground reality of Burunge Wildlife Management Area (WMA) that is celebrated as one of Tanzania's best examples of community-based conservation (CBC). We find Burunge WMA rife with conflict and contestation over grievances that remained unsettled since its establishment a decade ago. These grievances have been accentuated by growing land pressure resulting from increasing human, livestock, and elephant populations, in combination with infrastructure improvements and support for agriculture-led development. The WMA governance regime has little to offer the residents and village leaders of Burunge member villages who appear hostages in a situation where interests in human development and conservation are pitted against each other, making a mockery of the notions of CBC. By re-examining this exemplary WMA case and compare our findings with the way it is being portrayed by supporting agencies, we pinpoint the tendency of the actors promoting conservation in Tanzania to misrepresent or ignore the realities on the ground that defy official policy promises. In doing this, we hope to call upon the many empathetic and hard-working individuals to end the collective failure to address this detrimental discrepancy between reality and representation, and start supporting affected residents in their struggles for self-determination.

Decentralized Environmental Governance: A Reflection on its Role in Shaping Wildlife Management Areas in Tanzania

Decentralised environmental governance has become a catchy solution to environmental problems caused by the failure of traditional centralised environmental governance. It promises to transfer power and authority, improve efficiency, equity, accountability, and inclusion of local people who were previously excluded by the command and control model. This paper examines the efficacy of decentralised environmental governance as an alternative approach to wildlife conservation in Tanzania. We analyse the policy and legal framework for Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in Tanzania over the past two decades as a case study on current practice and its implications. We find that despite the rhetoric of community-based conservation (CBC), the wildlife industry remains heavily under state control, while the promises of CBC remain elusive. Questioning the effectiveness of decentralised environmental governance through CBC, we recommend that actors return to the drawing board and re-negotiate their positions, interests, power and authority if meaningfully decentralised environmental governance is to be achieved.