Cross-scale value trade-offs in managing social-ecological systems: The politics of scale in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Management of social-ecological systems takes place amidst complex governance processes and cross-scale institutional arrangements that are mediated through politics of scale. Each management scenario generates distinct cross-scale trade-offs in the distribution of pluralistic values. This study explores the hypothesis that conservation-oriented management scenarios generate higher value for international and national scale social organizations, whereas mixed or more balanced management scenarios generate higher value for local scale social organizations. This hypothesis is explored in the management context of Ruaha National Park (RNP), Tanzania, especially the 2006 expansion of RNP that led to the eviction of many pastoralists and farmers. Five management scenarios for RNP, i.e., national park, game reserve, game control area, multiple use area, and open area, are evaluated in a multicriteria decision analytical framework on six valuation criteria: economic welfare; good governance; socio-cultural values; social equity; ecosystem services; and biodiversity protection; and at three spatial scales: local, national, and international. Based upon this evaluation, we discuss the politics of scale that ensue from the implementation of management alternatives with different mixes of conservation and development goals in social-ecological systems. Copyright © 2011 by the author(s)

Factors influencing deforestation in Rwamwanja refugee settlement camp, Kamwenge district, Uganda

The tropical rain forest is facing increasing destruction and degradation and the ones in Africa much more so. The challenges include establishing the activities and factors which are contributing greatly to this situation. This study therefore critically assessed the influence of arable farming, lumbering and charcoal processing on deforestation in Rwamwanja refugee settlement camp in Kamwenge District, Uganda. This refugee camp is mainly habituated by refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The socio demographic data indicates that most of the refugees interviewed were male (94.3%), most of them (60.3 %) were married and ranged between 35 to 50 years old (62.1%). The results show that all these factors (arable farming, lumbering and charcoal burning) significantly contribute to the high rate of deforestation in this camp. However, the major contributor is lumbering (3.30) closely followed by Charcoal (3.26). The above two factors are mainly fueled by high income from lumbering and lack of energy for domestic use. The results further show that the increasing human population due to increasing number of refugees is resulting in increased settlement which in turn leads to increased deforestation as the above demands grow in this refugee settlement camp. The study recommends that there is need for a more detailed study to identify practical alternatives which would lead to effective protection of the forests around this refugee settlement. It is also further recommended that education and awareness on tree conservation for the local refugee communities becomes part of the settling in program including identifying other income generating activities and other sources of energy for the refugees