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Predictor variables for soil organic carbon contents in the Miombo woodlands ecosystem of Kitonga forest reserve, Tanzania
No full textThis article is available at http://www.internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ijasFew studies have established the variables which adequately predict SOC storage in the Miombo woodlands. Multiple regression analysis was used to establish the variables which could predict SOC contents in dominant soils of the Miombo woodlands of Kitonga Forest Reserve, Tanzania. Thirty soil mini-pits located at different elevations across a topographical gradient were selected, geo-referenced, excavated and samples from the natural horizons were collected for physico-chemical analysis. A total of 85 samples were collected, each representing a natural soil horizon. The results indicated that total nitrogen (TN), (P< 0.001, R2 = 0.97) and TN in combination with calcium (Ca) (P< 0.001, R2 = 0.99) were important predictor variables of SOC contents. The combination of cation exchange capacity, Zinc, Copper, clay and iron together with TN and Ca predicted well the SOC contents (P< 0.001, R2 = 0.999). Considering time and cost implications for field and laboratory analysis in predicting SOC stocks, the combination of TN and Ca that predicted the SOC contents by 99% provided equally strong prediction when compared to the combination of all the variables. Thus, proper land management strategies which enhance conservation of TN and Ca in concert would provide adequate prediction of SOC contents in soils.The Climate Change Impacts Adaptation and Mitigation (CCIAM) programme under NORAD support
The influence of certified forest management on community socioeconomics: implication for REDD+ safeguard standards implementation in Tanzania
No full textAvailable in the Proceedings of the International Conference on Reducing Climate Change Challenges through Forestry and Other Land Use Practices.Forest certification has been promoted as means to contribute to individual and community livelihoods condition. However, it has been evaluated very little to this effect. By using economic valuation methods and governance indicators, the study assesses the influence of forest certification approach to forest management on individual and community livelihoods in Kilwa, Tanzania by comparing livelihoods condition in communities with certified forests under community based forest management (CBFM) to those village forests without CBFM and certification. Results reveal that certified communities (FSC) offer a higher forest income US86/m3/annum per household and village, respectively and more incomes to people in the community than non-certified communities with US10/m3/annum per household and village, respectively. The difference of livelihoods condition between the certified CBFM and communities without CBFM and certification is statistically significant (p = 3.128e-05 < 0.05). The actors from certified forest communities exhibit lower income inequity (G = 0.3986) than NoFSC forests (G = 0.5883) and the difference is statistically significant. This highlights positive influence of certified CBFM on livelihoods condition as an incentive for communities to responsibly manage their forests, including REDD+ projects more effectively, efficiently and sustainably. The policy implication from this is that incorporation of forest certification standards into REDD+ social and environmental safeguard standards implementation would motivate communities to participate effectively in REDD+.Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation (CCIAM) Programme funded through the Norwegian embassy in Tanzani
Understanding watershed dynamics and impacts of climate change and variability in the Pangani River Basin, Tanzania
No full textThis article is available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1642359314000834Watersheds and rivers are vital ecological features for the provision of hydrological
services for the health, welfare and prosperity of human communities. Nevertheless,
anthropogenic activities coupled with climate change and climate variability are blamed
for degrading watersheds and rivers and decreasing their capacity to irrigate. To address
the situation, it is important to understand why and how water shortages are occurring.
This paper reports findings of a study carried out to identify and assess drivers of water
shortages and adaptation strategies to climate change and variability in Pangani River
Basin of Tanzania. To assess the influence of climate change and variability on hydrological
flow and water shortages, time series data on rainfall and temperature were compiled
from the Tanzania Meteorological Agency. We also used structured questionnaires to
collect data on villagers’ perceptions about the drivers of water shortages and adaptation
strategies. Results indicated a decreasing trend of water flow (p < 0.05) at Kikuletwa–
Karangai gauging station along Pangani River Basin. Trend analysis indicated a slight
decrease of rainfall and increase of temperature. Although there is no empirical evidence
to associate climate change with the decline of rainfall and water flow, adaptation
measures need to be put in place in order to mitigate against increasing climate variability,
reduced water flow, and projected climate change. Therefore, watershed conservation
strategies should also focus on improving the welfare of local communities. Additionally,
involvement of stakeholders in the entire PRB is crucial toward watersheds conservation
for steady flow of hydrological services.The government of Belgium (scholarship grant number 09TAN/5917) through the Belgium Technical Cooperation (BTC)
REVIEW OF CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION IN AGRICULTURE IN TANZANIA
No full textThe document is also available ttp://www.fao.org/climatechange/micca/en/) .This report assesses and identified policies, strategies and initiatives led by the Tanzanian government towards addressing the impact of climate change in agriculture. Supporting 80% of the population, agriculture is still the main stay of the economy, and hence any negative impact originating from climate change to this sector has significant effect to the country economy and community livelihoods.
The commitments of the Tanzanian government towards combating climate change at national, international and local level have been exemplary. Furthermore, due to less mechanized form of agriculture which also a rainfed, less input in terms of inorganic fertilizer and chemical pesticides, the country is still contributing less to the emission of the greenhouse gases (GHG).
GHGs emission in Tanzania is reported mainly to be from land use change and forestry by 87.33%, energy and agriculture ranking second and third by contribution 6.39% and 5.68% respectively. This information gives an impression that despite less emission of GHGs in agriculture compared to other sectors, special attention needs to be paid on soil and livestock in order to reduce the emission from agriculture.
The expected growth in agricultural sector may trigger acceleration of GHGs emission which might surpass other sectors, currently the conversion of natural forests and woodlands into agricultural fields is at alarming rate, the current rate of deforestation that have been reported by the government stands at 400,000 ha/year, agricultural sector is said to be the key contributor of deforestation.
The REDD+ readiness phase is the most significant mitigation program, the readiness phase has been implemented through the UN-REDD and the NICFI programme with a total budget of over 100mil USD. The readiness phase has laid down a foundation to most ground work to support accounting on GHGs emission.
Moreover, the readiness phase gave set up of the MRV system together with a road map for RL/REL. currently the ability of the nation to collect emission data (NFI) is much enhanced than before. Institutional arrangement and coordination for Carbon monitoring is well underway through the NCMC. However the development of MRV system in Tanzania is still at infancy stage as many of the key issues are not in place viz. NFMS, RL/REL and the definition of forest.
Tanzania has a good foundation of policy framework to address adaptation and mitigation of climate change in agriculture. It needs very complex and accommodating methods and tools that will capture differences in agro-ecologies farming systems, agricultural input levels and other land management.Government of Finland
REDD+ on the ground: A case book of subnational initiatives across the globe
No full textThis book is available at http://www.cifor.org/publications/pdf_files/books/BCIFOR1403.pdfAs one of the leading near-term options for global climate change mitigation,
REDD+ has been piloted in over 300 subnational initiatives across the tropics.
This book describes 23 of those initiatives in six countries: Brazil, Peru, Cameroon,
Tanzania, Indonesia and Vietnam. These initiatives were selected in large part
because they had defined their specific intervention areas but not yet offered
conditional incentives to reduce forest carbon emissions when CIFOR collected
baseline data in 2010. By 2014, they had implemented a broad range of actions
both to develop enabling conditions and to reduce forest emissions. Thus, it is
now timely to report on their experiences and assess early lessons about REDD+,
including finance, tenure, scale, MRV and safeguards.
For each of these initiatives, we state the basic facts (where, who, why and
when); explain their strategies; describe smallholders living in and around
the intervention areas; and highlight key challenges and lessons learned. This
information was collected through a household survey at 17 sites, and interviews
with key informants and village meetings at all 23 sites.
Basic facts: Where, who, why and when
Most of the initiatives include between 650 and 6500 km2 of tropical rainforest.
There are exceptions in Tanzania and Vietnam, where initiatives are located in dry
forest and moist deciduous forest, which have lower carbon stocks and thus lower
potential carbon revenues.
Fourteen of the initiatives are led by private nonprofit organizations, while the
remaining initiatives are led either by for-profit companies or by the public sector,
sometimes in collaboration with nonprofit organizations. To date, the most
important funding source for these initiatives has been the public sector, followed
by philanthropic organizations and private companies.
Many of the nonprofit proponents were already engaged in conservation work
at their sites, which REDD+ has enabled them to continue or expand. In
contrast, proponents from the private sector were more often motivated by the
carbon market, and proponents from the public sector were generally seeking to
demonstrate the feasibility of REDD+ both for climate change mitigation and for
co-benefits. While all of the initiatives led by for-profit companies are continuing,
six of the initiatives led by nonprofit or public sector proponents have ended and
two have re-characterized themselves as low-carbon development efforts.
Strategies
While all initiatives shared the goal of reducing deforestation and degradation,
they pursued a broad range of strategies to accomplish this. Most proponents
initially planned to access the forest carbon market to pay for performance-based
incentives (direct payments or livelihood enhancements) to reduce deforestation.
However, to date, only four of the initiatives have sold carbon credits, and only 10 have made direct payments conditional on actions to reduce deforestation
or degradation. Many more have obtained bilateral or other public funding to
support unconditional livelihood enhancements. Some initiatives are seeking to
bundle carbon revenues with other incentives for sustainable management and
conservation, such as sales of certified timber. Thus, many initiatives are continuing
to follow their previous integrated conservation and development strategies.
At the same time, proponents have sought to clarify and secure tenure for local
stakeholders in order to identify who bears responsibility for protecting forests in
exchange for REDD+ benefits, to protect forests from deforestation agents and to
promote equity. Select proponents have encouraged local involvement in MRV.
Smallholders in the initiatives
At most of the sites, smallholders – whether indigenous to the area or recent
migrants – are largely dependent on agriculture. Specifically, at 14 of the 17 sites
where household surveys were conducted, smallholders derive their largest share
of income from crops and livestock, and hence their livelihoods are potentially
at risk from REDD+ interventions that restrict forest conversion. At each site,
about 40% of the interviewed households had cleared forest within the previous
two years, primarily for crop cultivation. The importance of forest clearing by
smallholders varies across regions, partly as a function of the size of a typical
smallholding (substantially larger in Brazil than in other countries) and partly in
comparison with other deforestation drivers (with typically greater external threats
in Indonesia). Forest products are the primary income source for smallholders at
only three sites, located in Indonesia and Peru.
Challenges and lessons
The experiences of the individual initiatives reveal huge challenges associated
with implementing REDD+ on the ground. Many of these challenges can only
be overcome with an international agreement that generates the level of support
originally envisioned for REDD+. Rather than waiting for such an agreement, the
proponents of subnational initiatives have been adapting and innovating. Here, we
summarize the challenges experienced and some lessons learned, especially in the
following five areas:
Finance. Of the 23 initiatives, 14 are still functioning under the REDD+ label, and
only four have sold carbon credits, which was initially envisioned as the primary
way REDD+ would be financed. Another six are still in the process of obtaining
third-party certification and/or marketing their credits. With the exception of three
initiatives led by for-profit proponents that have sold credits, all of the initiatives
that are seeking to continue as REDD+ are dependent on public and philanthropic
funding, neither of which promises a stable long-term budget. The challenges of
accessing carbon funding have also encouraged proponents to halt, transform or
at least relabel nine initiatives by the end of 2014, demonstrating the difficulty of
sustaining REDD+ interventions in the face of political and financial uncertainty.
Tenure. In addition to a secure source of funding, conditional incentives require
a way to identify who holds rights to forest carbon and who bears responsibility
for reducing emissions. Thus, pervasive tenure insecurity in tropical forests poses
a challenge for implementing performance-based systems; it also potentially encourages more deforestation and undermines local livelihoods. At 11 of the
sites, proponents consider tenure to be among their most important challenges.
Most of the proponents have therefore given significant, dedicated attention to
tenure clarification, but much remains to be done to assure an appropriate tenure
foundation for REDD+.
Scale. REDD+ is an inherently multilevel process, requiring coordination between
activities on the ground and policies at higher levels. The 23 initiatives in this
book include six that are jurisdictional, in the sense that they plan to monitor
carbon emissions and removals over an entire political administrative region.
Jurisdictional initiatives are enabled by the power of government to work across
sectors and scales, but can be hindered by interests counter to REDD+ that are
embedded in some sectors of government; initiatives may also be vulnerable to
changes in political leadership resulting from electoral outcomes.
MRV. MRV capabilities are highly uneven across countries, initiatives and
emission sources. In contrast to the remote sensing capabilities for monitoring
large-scale deforestation and the advance of deforestation frontiers that pre-dated
REDD+, there has been slow progress on monitoring the small-scale mosaic
deforestation and degradation that are ubiquitous throughout tropical forests. The
diversity of emission sources across the 23 sites clearly points to the importance
of locally tailored MRV systems, e.g. to capture the role of fire in Indonesian
peatlands and Tanzanian dry forests.
Safeguards. REDD+ initiatives could place local livelihoods at risk unless they
offer alternatives to forest conversion for agriculture – which is the primary
income source for many smallholders in our sample. Our survey indicates that
smallholders are concerned about whether they will receive tangible (incomerelated)
benefits and whether their incomes could be negatively impacted by
REDD+ interventions. Many of the proponents do plan to offer support for
sustainable agricultural practices in compensation for restrictions on traditional
shifting cultivation. However, survey results from the 23 sites clearly demonstrate
the challenges of promoting social co-benefits in a way that is efficient and
equitable given the heterogeneity of livelihood portfolios and varying patterns of
forest use and dependence among local stakeholders.
In sum, early expectations of large funding flows induced experimentation with
subnational REDD+. The resulting experiences – including the 23 initiatives
described in this book – could provide the building blocks for implementing REDD+
as part of a future climate change agreement. Meanwhile, REDD+ can be advanced
through strong efforts to: mobilize funding both for carbon and complementary
forest benefits; ensure that local stakeholders are not just motivated to conserve
forests but also protected against external threats to their resource rights; embed
REDD+ in state institutions without leaving it vulnerable to electoral politics;
increase capacity for MRV adapted to local conditions; and develop social safeguards
grounded in a detailed understanding of local livelihoods.For a list of Fund donors please see: https://www.cgiarfund.org/FundDonor
Impact of severe climate variability on lion home range and movement patterns in the amboseli ecosystem, Kenya
No full textAvailable at www.sciencedirect.comIn this study, we were interested in understanding if droughts influence the home range of
predators such as lions, and if it does, in what ways the droughts influenced lions to adjust
their home range, in response to prey availability. We monitored movements of ten lions
fitted with GPS-GSM collars in order to analyze their home range and movement patterns
over a six year period (2007–2012). We assessed the impact of a severe drought on the lion
home range and movement patterns in the Amboseli ecosystem. There was a strong positive
correlation between the home range size and distance moved in 24 h before and during
the drought (2007–2009), while after the drought there was a significant negative correlation.
A weak positive correlation was evident between the lion home range and rainfall
amounts (2010–2012). The male and female home ranges varied over the study period. The
home range size and movement patterns coincided with permanent swamps and areas of
high prey density inside the protected area. Over the course of the dry season and following
the drought, the ranges initially shrank and then expanded in response to decreasing
prey densities. The lions spent considerable time outside the park boundaries, particularly
after severe the drought. We conclude that under conditions of fragmented habitats, severe
climate conditions create new challenges for lion conservation due to effects on prey
availability and subsequent influences on carnivore species ranging patterns. Stochastic
weather patterns can force wide-ranging species beyond current reserve boundaries, into
areas where there will be greater conflicts with humans
The impact of mining activities on forest resources in Nyamongo Gold Mine, Tarime District, Tanzania
No full textThis study aims to evaluate the impact of mining and provide information on
the extent of natural forest resources degradation and loss due to gold mining
in Nyamongo area, using both qualitative and quantitative research designs.
Data was obtained through questionnaires, interviews, observations, resource
mapping, documentary review and Geographical Information System
analysis. The findings indicate that poor working practices and inferior
technologies used by small-scale miners have greatly affected natural forest
resources in the area. It further revealed that the Nyamongo gold plant has
not only displaced local people, but also deprived them of income related to
small-scale mining without providing alternatives. The study also revealed
that charcoal and brick-making activities are carried out to supplement
incomes from small-scale mining and agricultural activities. The findings
further revealed that the forestland declined by 93.8% from 1960s to 2006.
The impact on forest resources was more significant in Mrito village where
only a small part of Miriminsi forest remains today (about 2% of the total
forestland). The study recommends that the government implement land use
and town planning for Nyamongo, especially in Nyangoto and Matongo
villages, where settlements are not planned
Contribution of agricultural intensification on household income and food security: the case of Njombe and Mvomero districts
No full textAvailable in the Proceedings of the International Conference on Reducing Climate Change Challenges through Forestry and Other Land Use PracticesAgricultural intensification is now a reality around the world. The phenomenon has been attributed to various drivers including an increased demand for feeding the growing human population, increased multiple competing land uses and therefore creating the pressure of need for enhanced production. Other factors entail the advancement of market and road infrastructures and thus creating enabling environment for agricultural transactions, and improved access to agricultural inputs and technologies. It is undoubtedly true that intensification brings diverse consequences in terms of income and food security among others. This study manifests the effects of agricultural intensification on income and food security amongst small scale farmers based on the data collected through household survey, and uses maize and paddy production in Njombe and Mvomero districts respectively as the case study. Our operational definition of intensification entails the frequent use of agro-chemical inputs such as mineral fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides; and use of improved seeds for the aim of enhancing crop productivity. We also narrow the food-security-definition by focusing on sufficient production for household consumption and having surplus for sale.Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation (CCIAM) Programme funded through the Norwegian embassy in Tanzani
Do Incentive Market Based Mechanisms work for Sustainable Land Management?
No full textthe document is available through http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v7n6plAbstracts
Governments have traditionally relied on public budgets, bilateral and multilateral cooperation to support sustainable land management (SLM) activities. However, it is becoming evident that such support will not be sufficient neither can be sustainable to reverse land degradation, particularly in dry and degrading lands. Innovative mechanisms to encourage investments in SLM practices and to promote and enable the adoption of good practices in all land use sectors as a means to combat land degradation and address this challenge are needed. The paper addresses the hypothesis that, in Tanzania, impacts of land degradation can be reduced through the application of incentive market based mechanisms that could be implemented by the land users to ensure dual benefits i.e. environment sustainability and improved human welfare of the land users. Key informants interviews and the desk reviews were the main methodological fronts used in gathering information. In Tanzania the practical incentive market based mechanisms can be grouped into Public Payment systems, Open Trading under Regulation, Self Organized Private Deals, and Eco-labeling of products and service. Components of these mechanisms have been tested n various agro-ecological zones in Tanzania and proved to be useful in the process of enhancing sustainable land management at the micro-level. Observations therefore suggest that, some incentive market based mechanisms can work to reducing impact land degradation at the micro-level especially when they are related to improved purchasing power of the land users. In order to reduce the dependence of the governments and reduce donor syndromc in enhancing sustainable land management in Tanzania and elsewhere, there is a need of encouraging the use of incentive market based mechanisms that will have contributions to the welfare of the land users as well as contributions to land degradatio
The vulnerability of urban communities to flood hazards in Tanzania: A case of Dar es Salaam city
No full textLosses from environmental flood hazards have escalated in the recent decades, prompting a reorientation of emergency management systems away from simple post-event response. The degree to which populations are vulnerable to flood hazards is not solely dependent upon proximity to the source of the threat or the physical nature of the hazard-social factors also play a significant role in determining vulnerability. This paper presents a participatory disaster risk method for assessing vulnerability in spatial terms using both physical and social indicators. It reveals that the most physically vulnerable places do not always spatially intersect with the most vulnerable populations. This is an important finding because it reflects the likely ‘social costs’ of hazards. While economic losses might be large in areas of high physical risk to floods, the resident population also may have greater safety nets (insurance, additional financial resources) to absorb and recover from the loss quickly. Conversely, it would take only a moderate hazard event to disrupt the well-being of the majority residents (who are more socially of vulnerable, but perhaps do not reside in the highest area of physical risks to floods) and retard their longer-term recovery from disasters. This paper advances theoretical and conceptual understanding of the spatial dimensions of vulnerability. It further highlights the merger of conceptualizations of human-environment relationships with geographical techniques in understanding contemporary public policy issues