Modelling environmental attitudes of the users of Kilombero Valley Wetlands, Tanzania

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Determinants of access patterns to goods and services from wetlands in Tanzania and the impact on sustainable wetland management

Wetlands perform vital role in providing useful goods and services to mankind. Because of their importance, human beings interactions with the wetlands’ physical environment have caused some of them to be highly degraded. Due to characteristic nature of wetlands being a common pool resource (CPRs), most researchers claim their degradation to be a result of poor institutions governing the interactions. Wetlands in Tanzania are very useful especially, in areas where agriculture is most prevalent. High pressure to exploit fertile and moist land in those areas has caused wetlands to be highly degraded. This study focused on the rules and regulations governing the resources access from the wetlands using Kilombero Valley as a case study. The study used choice modelling to identify the determinants of the access patterns and their impacts on wetland sustainable management. The results showed that physical nature of resources and characteristics of the users such as location, income and education determine what type of access one chooses to accrue products and services from the wetlands. To ensure wetland sustainable management, the policy makers and conservationists should consider these factors in enacting rules and regulation which would govern human interactions in the wetlands. Payment for environmental services could be used to enhance such options

Ratification of the Ramsar convention and sustainable wetlands management : situation analysis of the Kilombero Valley wetlands in Tanzania

Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, 2011; 3 (9):153-164In recent years, the Kilombero Valley wetlands in Tanzania was designated and added to the Ramsar convention’s list in an attempt to improve its social, economic and environmental values. This study, carried out in selected sites within the Kilombero Valley wetlands, uses a participatory approach to analyze the existing situation and to reflect upon the quest for sustainable management as defined by Ramsar convention. The empirical findings reveal that the Kilombero Valley wetlands are an important source of livelihood for 87% of the dwellers in the area. Moreover, the wetlands also contribute significantly to welfare outside the area as 70% of the country’s hydropower depends on water regulation functions of this wetland and they are the source of a diverse number of streams, adding to their biological and ecological value. The study furthermore revealed that the current institutional arrangement for the site threaten the sustainability of the wetlands, despite its addition to the Ramsar convention’s list. A more detailed study on appropriate incentive mechanisms for the sustainable management of the wetlands, which would help to internalize the negative effects created by the users, is recommended

SLIDES: Environmental Flow Case Studies: Southern and Eastern Africa

Presenter: Rebecca Tharme, Riverfutures Ltd. 17 slide

SLIDES: Environmental Flow Case Studies: Southern and Eastern Africa

Presenter: Rebecca Tharme, Riverfutures Ltd. 17 slide

A new institutional economics approach to evaluate management options for wetlands: the case of Kilombero Valley wetlands in Tanzania

Anthropogenic activities disrupt ecosystems balance that cause natural calamities if there are no proper rules to interact with nature. To maintain a balance between the use and ecosystems’ health, theorists in New Institutional Economics advocate the applications of interdisciplinary set of options when enacting development policies. Economic principles should change from market perspective to consider other transactions which cannot be framed in institutions. Determination of such management options in Tanzania’s wetlands required a thorough analysis on institutions and economics of transactions. In Kilombero Valley wetlands where this study was based, the results showed that, variation in preferences among primary and secondary users have resulted in each creating an externality to another. Some of the communities’ members are incurring high cost of management due to restrictions from wetlands’ goods and services. These have in response being practicing illegal activities in those restricted areas, which have in return degraded the wetlands. It is further revealed that, due to existence of myriad rules and regulations responsible for wetlands protection, the diverse groups of users have inconsistent knowledge in the rules responsible for wetlands protections. For the rules and regulations to have a positive impact on sustainable wetlands management, the users’ knowledge on them needs to be consistent. Alternatively, there should be a responsible institution that would be overseeing the holistic enforcement of all the rules and regulations appearing in bits and pieces. For realization of sustainable management of the wetlands, attitudes of the users need to be positive towards internationally agreed principles of ecosystems’ management. Furthermore, for these communities’ diverse preferences being integrated, the governance policies need to be inclusive to allow stakeholders’ participation in designing appropriate management options for the wetlands. Establishments of Payment for Environmental Service schemes could internalize the externalities resulting from transacted goods and services from the wetlands

Community Perceptions and Socio-Demographic Influence on Trophy Hunting in Rungwa Game Reserve, Tanzania

The trophy hunting industry in Tanzania plays a significant role in wildlife conservation as well as economic and community development. Trophy hunting has been conducted in Rungwa Game Reserve (RGR) for several decades; however, the trophy hunting opinions from the local communities living adjacent to the reserve are not well documented. This study aimed to assess the awareness and attitudes of local communities living adjacent to Rungwa Game Reserves toward trophy hunting. Furthermore, the study assessed factors that influenced the opinions of participants by using structural equation modeling. We used semi-structured interviews and key informant interviews in the three villages adjacent to RGR. The local communities are aware of existing hunting operations around the game reserves. The study found positive attitudes among local communities toward trophy hunting, only if local people accrue benefits from hunting operations. The community’s attitudes towards trophy hunting varied across household size and occupation. Education and household position had an indirect influence on the community’s attitude. Our findings suggest that socio-demographic variables are important to consider when assessing awareness and attitudes toward trophy hunting. Local communities are willing to support trophy hunting operations if the benefits obtained from hunting are significant and it can improve wildlife conservation and their livelihood. In conclusion, trophy hunting is important to local communities living adjacent to protected areas, and banning them may have a significant impact on their livelihood and wildlife conservation. Therefore, it is recommended that conservation policies and interventions consider the dual significance of trophy hunting, fostering strategies that balance socio-economic benefits for communities and wildlife conservation

Modelling the value of wetlands in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania, using community preferences

Wetland degradation has recently received considerable attention in research. Although wetlands are valuable ecosystems, their actual value is difficult to measure because the services they provide do not have market values. The current study tries to define the value of wetlands in the Kilombero Valley, central Tanzania. Choice modelling is used to determine communities' preferences over wetland conditions associated with various management options. The results show that the inhabitants of the Kilombero Valley desire improvements in the wetland's conditions, suggesting that the ongoing degradation is not socially optimal. Local farmers are however highly dependent on the wetland for their livelihood. In order to reduce pressure on wetlands, it is therefore necessary and imperative to explore the options of alternative income generating activities and the application of proper technologies to improve efficiency and effectiveness in crop production