November 6th, 2013
EVOLUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT IN TANZANIA
By: Massawe, Sisty Basil
Geographical and physical setting of Tanzania.
Tanzania is located south of the equator in Tropical East Africa on the Indian
Ocean that lies between latitudes 1º-12º south and longitude 30º-40º East. It is
bordered by eight African countries: Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda,
Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia to the west; and
Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The total area of the country is 945,000
km2 including its three islands: Zanzibar, Mafia and Pemba.
One half of Lake Victoria (the second biggest freshwater body worldwide)
The glaciated peak of the Mount Kilimanjaro at 5,895 m
The protected area (PA) 40% of the total land
Serengeti a site with the largest terrestrial mammalian migrations
worldwide
Introduction
Environmental movement
Environmental movement can simply be defined as a social and political movement mainly concerning with the conservation of environment as well as improving the state of environment. It can also be said as green and conservation movement
Generally, environmentalists favor the sustainable management of natural resources as well as the protection of the environment via changes in public policy and individual behavior. In its recognition of humanity as a participant in ecosystems
Generally , the movement is
centered on ecology, health
and human rights.
(feelfriendly.com)
Definition
Concern for the impact on human life of problems such as air andwater pollution dates to at least Roman times
Pollution was associated with the spread of epidemic disease inEurope between the late 14th century and the mid 16th century, andsoil conservation was practiced in China, India, and Peru as early as2,000 years ago
In general, however, such concerns did not give rise to public
activism as most of them had no vivid negative effects
The contemporary environmental movement arose primarily from
concerns in the late 19th (1960s)
Eg. Chipko movement in India, which linked forest protection with
the rights of women
History of Environmental movement in world and Africa
History continue
Modern
movements
In 1962 Rachel Carson‟s book Silent Spring
By the late 1980s
Birth Some environmental nongovernmental organizations(forexample Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and the World
Wildlife Fund)
From 1972 multilateral international environmental agreements
Eg. Stockholm , Rio de Janeiro 1992, etc….
IN Africa:
Although most of the environmental movements in the worlds
originated in Europe and America, even. Before 19th
century, few activities of the same nature were seen in
African continent
In Africa ………
Indigenous
knowledge
Coming of
colonialists
Settlers and
land conflict
There is also ample evidence that before the colonial encounter
with the African environment, African people had a rich
knowledge of their environment. In many cultures, land, water
and even forests were either deified or held in sacred trust (They
were symbolically insured against abuse or pillage)
Resistance to colonialism by African nationalist movements did
have strong environmental components
Mau-Mau Movement in Kenya in the struggle for freedom and
land
Maji maji (1904) in Tanzania (Against the Germans) on land
Pondoland revolt in South Africa in 1960 (Denial access to
Conserved forest).
Evolution of environmental movement in United Republic of Tanzania
During Colonial era (Before 1961)
Buffer Zonation and Establishment of a
National Park (German rule)
German Administration in the then Tanganyika
first introduced the approach.
The idea was to create a user zone around the
forest. The user zone (buffer zone) was
normally planted with fast growing Eucalyptus
species to provide wood materials to people
living around forest reserves.
slow down forest/game reserve encroachment.
to allow people to benefit from such zones,
especially in areas that have land problems
such as Saadani National park.Forestry and Beekeeping have also tried
to re-introduce buffer zonation
Evolution of environmental movement in United Republic of Tanzania
During Colonial era (Before 1961) Continues.......
Convention for the Preservation of Animals, Birds and Fish in Tanzania.
Europeans enacted Tanzania‟s first conservation measure in 1900. Game-hunters and adventure-
seekers had been coming to the area, then German East Africa
In order to conserve the continent‟s Nature, representatives from all seven European nations with African
colonies convened in London for the Convention for the Preservation of Animals, Birds..
laid the foundation for the top-down, preservationist style management that came to
characterize African conservation policies.
the representatives agreed to protect a few charismatic species like the giraffe, gorilla, and
chimpanzee. They restricted Maasai access to resources,
enforced their policies through colonial mandates and did not consider their affect
on the existing population
The Convention even encouraged colonists to kill large predators like lions and cheetahs
because they threatened settlers‟ livestock
Evolution of environmental movement in United Republic of Tanzania
British Rule :
Top-down, preservationist style management”of landscapes and wildlife continued
1929 established a “closed game reserve” inNgorongoro Crater
The British did not enforce their new regulation,however, largely because the government had fewresources to patrol the area
By 1934, there was enough tourist interest inthe region that the government built a roadalong the rim of the crater
Though foreigners came to Tanganyika to hunt,the Maasai were not allowed to do so” (Nelsonet al. 2007)
During Colonial era (Before 1961) Continues.......
Evolution of environmental movement in United Republic of Tanzania
Published books on Tanganyika (Tanzania) environmental movements/Initiatives:
Bernhard Grzimek‟s popular book NoRoom for Wild Animals, published in1956, and Serengeti Shall Not Diepublished in 1959 claimed that human(native African) population expansionwas threatening wildlife
He predicted that “the wild animals ofAfrica are doomed to die,” andrecommended that the governmentrelocate the tribes living within protectedareas (quoted in Bonner 175 cited inCited in Nelson et al. 2007)
The British were so concerned that theMaasai were damaging Nature that in1959 park officials removed the tribefrom the area they wanted to keep mostpristine
During Colonial era (Before 1961) Continues.......
An ordinance split the Serengeti GameReserve into Serengeti National Park andthe Ngorongoro Conservation Area(NCA).
Though they could not read it, parkofficials convinced tribal leaders to signthe ordinance, which stated that theMaasai “shall not be entitledhenceforth…to cross…the boundary ofthe new Serengeti National Park,” norwould they “be entitled to reside in or use
Environmental movements/Activities in Tanzania after Independence (After 1961)
As African nations began to achieve independence from European rule in the 1960s
Tanganyika, now Tanzania became independent in 1961
In 1967 the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and
the WWF called together the new African leaders in Arusha , Region to discuss the “state of
emergency facing Africa‟s wildlife”
Julius Neyere, Tanzania‟s first prime minister, delivered the opening remarks, now commonly
referred to the Arusha Declaration. Much to environmentalists‟ pleasure.He stated that “the survival of our wildlife is a matter of grave concern to all of us in Africa
In accepting the trusteeship of our wildlife we solemnly declare that we will do everything in
our power to make sure that our children‟s grand-children will be able to enjoy this rich and
precious inheritance” (quoted in Bonner 64 cited in Nelson et al. 2007)
Nyerere “believed that after diamonds and sisal, wild animals will provide Tanganyika with
its greatest source of income” because “thousands of Americans and Europeans have a
strange urge to see these animals” (quoted in Nash 1982, 342, cited in Neumann and recited
in Ariana La Porte 2010)
Protecting the Environment Policy Formulation Agencies on the movements
Environmental movements/Activities in Tanzania after Independence (After 1961
Tanzanian government hoped that wildlife conservation would increase tourism revenue. Westerners continued to run the parks initially.
but in 1971, the government appointed the first Tanzanian national park director. This transfer of power did not take place until ten years after independence because conservationists first had to train Tanzanians on the proper values and methods of conservation.
At first they did so by sending individuals to the United States, but in 1963 the African Wildlife Foundation (AWLF) and the WWF founded the College of African Wildlife Management (CAWM) outside Arusha
The CAWM trained Tanzanians in “Western ideologies and practices of natural resources conservation.
Today CAWM is one of the best wildlife college in Africa and world
Protecting the Environment Policy Formulation Agencies on the movements
Environmental movements/Activities in Tanzania after Independence (After 1961)
Although Jane Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute
in 1977 its birth can be traced to the moment Jane stepped
out of a game warden‟s boat onto a pebbly beach at what
was then the Gombe Stream Game Reserve in Tanzania
Protection of Chimpanzees movenment: Jane had a daunting
assignment – find and get close to wild chimpanzees,
documenting their behavior to shed light on our own
evolutionary past
. Jane also observed chimps hunting bushpigs and other
animals, disproving the widely held belief that
chimpanzees were primarily vegetarians
It is from the JGI‟s movement and activities that the
government of United Republic of Tanzania decides to turn
the Gombe Stream Game Reserve into the National park,
mostly for the purpose of protecting the endangered
chimpanzees.
Jane Goodall Institute
Environmental movements/Activities in Tanzania after Independence (After 1961)
The idea for a working group on Tanzania's forests first came to light at the fourth East African
Wildlife Symposium in Arusha, 1978
The first seed was sown. Initial activities of a private membership 'Forest Working Group'
began. These were Spear-headed by TFCG's first interim committee members, Alan Rodgers,
John B. Hall and Kim Howell. It was not until December 1982 that the Tanzania Forest
Conservation Group (TFCG) was officially registered as a Tanzanian NGO with the aims of:
…promoting the rational utilization of natural forest habitat within Tanzania'. (The arc journal
Issue No 18 Nov., 2005)
TFCG has been able to establish programmes to support participatory forest management (for
the first time in Tanzania), research, advocacy and networking, communication and environmental
education and community development across the country covering more than ten regions. Its due
to this movement by TFCG that the government decided to enacted the Forest act No 14 of
2002 aiming at conserving the countries forest resources.
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFG)
Environmental movements/Activities in Tanzania after Independence (After 1961
MJUMITA (The Community Forest Management Network of Tanzania
Endangered species
Galago
trees
Mpingo
Forest
PFM...
CBFM
VNRC
Agriculture
projects
Community
90 local area
networks
Ownership of
resources
Training
President Member
Tanzania Movement continue.......
Tanzania Youth Environmental Network (TAYEN) Movement
2007 UDSM
workshops, seminars
campaigns in and
outside the school‟s
premises
environmental clubs
TAYEN was established by three
students who were studying at
University of Dar es Salaam and
worked in various students Associations
in campus
Aims/goals :
conducts environmental education
programs in primary and secondary
schools as well as in colleges and
universities its interested in raising
awareness among Children and Youths
on environmental problems that are
facing the country and the globe.
conducts various environmental
education activities through trainings
as Essay Writing
competition among
students to raise
awareness on
various
environmental
problems that are
facing Tanzania
and the world
Tanzania Movement Continue......Mama Misitu a campaign to improve forest governance (2008)
response to TRAFFIC‟s, „Forestry,
Governance and National Development:
lessons learnt from a logging boom in
Southern Tanzania‟ TRAFFIC -The wildlife
trade monitoring network Mama
What is Mama Misitu??:
is a communications campaign
aiming to improve the governance of
Tanzania‟s forests and reduce illegal
forest harvesting, so that the people
of Tanzania can increasingly benefit
from sustainably managed forests
communities also learned about their
rights to forests and their ability to
benefit from the sustainable
management of their forests
Tanzania movenments continue......
Tanzania Natural Resources Forum (TNRF).
Since 2006,It become
NGO..
REDD ProjectEnv CinemaMaajabu FilmPastoralist and Drought
formed in 2001 as the
Wildlife Working Group
of people wishing to
promote a new rights-based
approach for addressing
critical natural resource
management issues in TZ
mainstreaming climate
change adaptation in dry
lands development
planning in Tanzania and
REDD
Tanzania Movement Continue Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative
works with about 14 villages , assisting
them to set aside Village Land Forest
Reserves under the provisions of
Tanzania’s 2002 Forest Act
MCDI, which is based in Kilwa, in
southeastern Tanzania, has been a pioneer in
PFM since it was founded under the name of
the Cambridge Mpingo Project, and began
with the Tanzanian Mpingo 96 student
expedition in 1995.
developed a rigorous procedure for
carrying out forest inventories with local
communities that assures timber harvests are
sustainable
certificate from the Forestry
Stewardship Council (FSC
which is the first of its kind to be
awarded for community forestry in
Africa and enables communities to
earn premium prices for their
harvested timber
MCDI recently received coverage from
Mongabay.com (January 2011) of the
expansion of its work facilitating
sustainable timber harvesting from
communities in coastal Tanzania
Legal Instruments and Mechanisms relating to environmental movement in Tanzania.
Article 9 of the
Constitution
requires the
Government to
ensure that
national
resources are
harnessed,
preserved and
applied toward
the common good
Constitution of Tanzania 1984
Constitutional provisions
Until recently environmental issues were the
responsibility of sectoral ministries. However, with the
growing awareness of the cross cutting and complex
nature of environmental issues, their importance and
severity, institutional structures and strategies are
changing towards cross-sectoral coordination: these can
be seen from various policies, laws, reforms, institutions
established by the government
fundamental objective and directive principles of the
state policy" provisions of the Constitution, it portrays
the commitment of the Government in ensuring
sustainable development and environmental
management
Specific national movements and programs towards environmental management
The growing awareness of the problem of desertification has led to a number of new district and regional based environmental management movement/ activities through the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources. These projects include: * Land Management Programme for Environment Conservation (LAMP) in Babati District; * Hifadhi Ardhi Dodoma (HADO) and Hifadhi Ardhi Shinyanga(HASHI), two soil and water conservation projects addressing forestry, land-use and livestock in an integrated fashion; * Hifadhi Mazingira (HIMA) a regional based soil and water conservation programme in Iringa region; * Soil Erosion Control and Agroforestry Programme (SECAP) in Lushoto, dealing with soil, land, and water conservation; * Soil Conservation and Agroforestry Programme (SCAPA)in Arumeru, dealing with soil, and water conservation.The problems of land degradation and desertification continue to be major threats to the environment and have been identified as priority problems in the National Environmental Policy, NCSSD, NEAP and TFAP.
It is vividly that the efforts and environmental movements has raised the public awareness,
interests and actions as more than 159 Community Based Organisations (CBO) and non-
Governmental Organisations (NGOS) has been formed as well as private sector and
individuals joining the process
Conclusion
At this juncture one can say that, the evolution of environmental movement in
Tanzania as led to the current environmental management activities as well as
adaption of various environmental policies to the country
Ariana La Porte (2010) Developing
Wilderness Conservation and Nature
Tourism in Tanzania and Costa Rica
Adger, W. N., Huq, S., Brown, K.,
Conway, D., and Hulme, M. 2003.
Adaptation to climate change in the
developing world. Progress in
Development Studies 3, no. 3: 179-
196.
Adger, W.N. 2003. Social Capital,
Collective Action, and Adaptation to
Climate Change. Economic Geography
79, no. 4: 387-403.
Agrawala, S., Moehner, A., Hemp, A.,
Van, A.M., Smith, J., Meena, H.,
Mwakifamba, M., Hyera, T., and
Mwaipopo, O.U. 2003. Development
and Climate Change in Tanzania: Focus
on Mount Kilimanjaro. Paris:
Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD)..
Reference List
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Reference List
ASANTENI /THANK YOU
“In nature nothing exists alone.”
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring