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The economic reforms undertaken in Tanzania between 1981 and 1994 ill order to redress the deteriorating
economy has caused retrenchment, closure or privatization of some of' the parastatals and many people who
were formerly employed by these enterprises were forced to find alternative means of survival. A study was
therefore conducted with the main objective of analyzing how economic reforms have influenced utilization and
management of forest resources of Kitulanghalo forest reserve.
The study was conducted between January and March 2000 in Gwata-Ujembe, Maseyu and Lubungo villages
surrounding Kitulanghalo Forest Reserve which is located at about 50 kin east ofMorogoro Municipality along
Morogoro - Dar es Salaam highway. The tools employed in primary data collection were Participatory Rural
Appraisal (PRA) techniques and househo' ' surveys. About 60 households were sampled in the study villages.
Data were analysed by using both PRA techniques and the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS).
The results indicated that agricultural activities and charcoal business are the main economic activities of the
people surrounding the forest reserve. More that 75% of the households ill the study villages ranked charcoal
making and selling as a first or second source of income after agriculture. The distance from homestead to
areas where charcoal burning activities are carried was about /.8 to 18 k111. Furthermore, the results indicated
that about 69%, 35% and 65% of the villagers interviewed for Gwata-Ujembe, Lubungo and Maseyu
respectively were immigrants and have lived in the villages for 11-23 years. The population by year 2000 in
Gwata-Ujembe village had increased by 57% compared to that of year 1980.
The growing population has exerted pressure 011 resources due to increased demand for agricultural land, use
and trade in forest products. About, 54%, 53% and 86% of the respondents in Gwata-Ujembe, Lubungo and
Maseyu villages indicated respectively that there are possibilities of increasing the area owned by individual
households by opening up virgin forests. A lso, traditional rules have been eroded (IS people of' different
traditions and beliefs moved into the area. |
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