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In Tanzania, well-defined land tenure and resource protection apply in forest reserves which account
for 30% of forested land, while the remaining 70% (mostly miombo woodlands) are village and general lands
with very limited protection. The aim of this study was to determine local people’s ownership rights, knowledge
and institutional capacity for sustainable management of resources in forest reserves and general lands. Data
were collected using participatory rural appraisal, structured and semi-structured interviews, as well as aerial photographs
and landsat images. In general lands, woodlands declined by 50% between 1964 and 1996, bushlands and
croplands increased by 599%, and settlements and homegardens increased by 277%. These land use and vegetation
structure changes are attributed to harvesting for charcoal production and shifting cultivation. The continued
decline in aerial woodland cover in the general lands suggests that common property regimes do not function in the
area. Local institutional capacities are weak in enforcing control mechanisms to check the overuse of resources,
which tends to approximate open access conditions. The issues of land tenure and village empowerment are not
only institutional, but also political in nature. Government institutions should provide and motivate for an enabling
environment, including acknowledgement of traditional knowledge, well-defined property rights and operational
village by-laws. In order to ensure equity and sustainable development of natural resources, the paradigm shift in
management is important whereby communal goods are to be managed for the benefit of the local society. |
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