LIFE SAVERS!

Its God only who gives life but every human being has the chance to save life. Our visit to Babati district in Manyara region brought us face to face with individuals in the community who dedicated themselves to saving life.
The first example of a life saver is Mr. Joachim Tambo a private farmer who owns a private forest. He was born in 1937 in southern Tanzania. In 1985 he started tree planting in the degraded area of Halla village which is now the famous Halla forest. This forest has not only enabled to reduce soil erosion but has also increased the fertility of the land. Because of the increased soil fertility more crops can now grow well in and around Halla forest for subsistance and commercial use. In addition to that Halla village which used to receive little rains now due to the forest has abundant rains and water catchments areas.

PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND FOREST CONSERVATION

Participatory management system is the way of administering something by involving different groups of people and other stakeholders in a particular area.Forest conservation is the process of keeping and utilizing the forest and its products sustainably.

People in Ayasanda and Haraa villages at Babati district, in Manyara region are applying participatory management system to conserve their forests. Both leaders and the community members formulated by-laws to guide them, elected natural resource committee and the guards whose responsibilities are to ensure the forests are utilized according to the formulated by-laws.

PARTICIPATION OF WOMAN ON FOREST MANAGEMENT

Haraa is the one of the village that practices Participatory Forest Management, in this village both genders are responsible in evolving in activities pertaining to forest conservation and protection.
In the year 2001 the village council started the procedure of involving the community participation on sustainable forest management. It was the participatory forest management for the betterment of the community needs. Both genders are involved in the protection of village forest. Participatory Forest Management security is used as forest protection tool against forest invaders.

HOW DO PEOPLE OF SOUTHERN BABATI MANAGED TO PROTECT THEIR NATURAL FOREST?

Community living southern part of Babati they are very unique. They have succeeded in protecting their natural forest by themselves without external forces like central government, because they use community participatory method to conserve and protect their forest.

From the field visit made in two villages Haraa and Ayasanda they practice this method. Before these forests were under central government where it was very difficult to control the whole area of forest as results the forest was badly destroyed by the surrounding community, you will wonder why these people did destroy this natural forest. Because they never felt ownership of the forest.

AMAZING PRIVATE FOREST MANAGEMENT!

One person managing more than 500 hectares himself
Mr. Joackim John Tambo was born in 1937 from Halla village located in Babati district in Manyara region has managed to protect the forest. The Attracting forest has water sources serves the villages such as Galapo, Kashi, Golidadida and Gedamale.
He started to engage in horticulture but later he decided to protect the environment especially the forest in his area as he had seen the trees are in danger and it was in 1985.

At first the village forest was in a good situation whereby the local communities enjoyed the importance of forest such as water. Later those water sources dried up due to mismanagement of the forests. He came up with an idea to protect the trees and environment in general so to help his villagers and to dedicate his love towards the living planet to help his fellow villagers. He decided to plant trees such as grevillia also he got one lorry full of seedlings of gravellia from the District Forestry Officer.

WORLD WATER DAY 2011: A CHALLENGE TO TANZANIA

On 22nd March, 2011, Tanzania joined the rest of the world in marking, not celebrating, World Water Day. For Tanzania, this was its 23rd participation on World Water Day, being held nationwide in Mwanza Region with the theme “Water for Cities” (Maji kwa ajili ya miji kukabiliana na changamoto mbalimbali mijini).

Tanzania “marked” instead of celebrating the Water Day as it has not put much effort in ensuring availability of clean and safe water both for urban and rural areas in the country, although it recognizes lack of accessible to good quality water both in urban and rural areas as among of the six major problems for urgent attention.
Of the estimated 1.1 billion people, relying on unsafe drinking water sources worldwide, millions are in Tanzania, where clean water is becoming scarcer by the day. The situation is especially terrible in rural area, where women still walk long distance in search of water.

CONFLICT BETWEEN LOCAL COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT TOWARDS FOREST RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Meru forest reserve is allocated below Mount Meru in Arumeru district of Arusha region. It includes natural and planted tree species. The plantations are located closely to human settlements while natural forest extends to the mountain hill. The plantation area is managed by TANAPA in all areas of planting, conserving and harvesting of trees.

Presence of TANAPA in the area led to various strict methods of management as local people are not allowed to enter the forest and obtain anything for example; firewood, grasses, herbs or even vegetables. During the research conducted by COMECA we realized that majority of the local people have severely got punished and fined by TANAPA patrol team when founded in the forest whether having or without having any forest products.

THE POTENTIAL USE OF MKUYU (FICUS SPP) TREES IN CONSERVING WATER SOURCES

The Mkuyu (Ficus spp) tree is a typical water catchment plant species that the local community uses for locating well sites and is believed to maintain a perennial supply of water if left to grow near it. Mikuyu trees are left to grow in water catchment areas to maintain a constant source of water for springs and wells. These trees have taproots and widespread lateral roots that hold wet soil and maintain wetness of after rainfall (UNEP).