Implementation effects of incentive policies on Tanzanian wetland ecosystems

Abstract

Incentive conservation policies are acknowledged to reduce the degradation of natural resources for improved ecosystem services worldwide. However, there have been few studies conducted on the contribution of development programs using such policies in wetlands of local importance. This paper examined the implementation effects of an incentive-based Wetlands Friendly Investments (WFI) strategy in the Ndembera Valley, Tanzania. Data were collected using a survey of 208 households and in-depth interviews, supplemented by Landsat 8 imagery and topographical maps. ERDAS Imagine 15 was used to process land cover changes and water flow using the TREND software. The results indicated: (i) all major wetlands areas had declined; (ii) the differences in land cover (t ¼ À.418, df ¼ 8, p ¼ .687) and water flow (t ¼ À.418, df ¼ 8, p ¼ .9) before and after introduction of the strategy were not significant; (iii) weak correlation was observed between rainfall and water flow (r ¼ .37); and (iv) land conversion was the main driver for the decline in cover. These findings represent a failure of the WFI incentives to improve the ecological effects of wetland cover and water flow. This suggests that application of the strategy alone was not sufficient for substantial improvement of the desired short-term cover and flow effect. Integrating land use and livelihood into incentive policies can improve WFI incentive implementation practices for sustainable land conservation in the study area. The multi-method approach used minimized human behavior-response limitations, therefore it can be replicated elsewhere.

Impact of Natural Capital Investment Strategies on Water Quality in the Ndembera River Sub-Catchment, Tanzania

“…In the light of the growing pressure on the wetlands and the services they support, the Government of Tanzania has introduced a number of natural capital strategies -including the strategy called Wetlands Friendly Investment (WFI) in the 2000s [5]. Theoretically, supporting the local community with incentives would make them reduce pressure on these natural systems henceforth provision of the services to the society [6]. The main objective of the strategy was to balance the protection and utilization at the heart of the wise use concept.…”