Poverty and institutional management stand-off: a restoration and conservation dilemma for mangrove forests of Tanzania

Abstract

Mangrove forests of Tanzania are reserved by law, but the capacity to effectively enforce this institution has remained far from reach and mangrove forests continue to be exploited as cheap sources of wood and forest land for other uses. Often, the rural poor who depend on mangroves for their subsistence are pointed out by the state institutions as culprits of the degradation. Promisingly though, this paradigm is being offset by the emerging positive view about human proclivity for caring and nurturing common resources. Traditional and community based forest management practices are emerging as appropriate alternatives to state control and institutional arrangement for ensuring sustainable management of forest resources. Nonetheless, community based management has not yet been robustly implemented for mangrove forests in Tanzania. Retrospectively, this paper argues that nationalization of mangrove forests has not been successful in reversing mangrove degradation. The experiences have instead been the frictions between people and the state, as desperate rural poor continue to plunder on and make a living at the expense of mangrove forests. The paper exemplify how policy failure, weak or dysfunctional state institutions in Tanzania compounded by little participatory awareness and self commitment are ruining the restoration and conservation initiatives.

Stakeholder perceptions of ecosystem services of the Wami River and Estuary

“…The coastal forests of Tanzania were identified as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, i.e., "areas featuring exceptional concentrations of endemic species and experiencing exceptional loss of habitat" (Myers et al 2000:853). This designation resulted in international NGOs placing a very high priority on their http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol21/iss3/art34/ conservation (Republic of Tanzania/UNDP/GEF [date unknown]) augmenting earlier efforts by the Tanzanian government and western donors focused on conserving mangrove ecosystems that had been identified as undergoing rapid decline (Mangora 2011). Its location on the coast offers tourists the unique opportunity to enjoy traditional wildlife safaris, as well as a boat safari, and time at the beach within one destination.…”

“…This is particularly relevant for the rural poor in developing countries who often disproportionately rely upon the natural environment for their sustenance and livelihoods. Despite this dependence, the majority of biodiversity conservation efforts undertaken in Tanzania within the past 50 years have adopted a top-down approach with limited attention to local residents' needs and priorities (Mangora 2011, Sigalla 2013. Information is warranted on the perspectives and needs of poorer local residents because their dependence on ecosystem services, and provisioning ecosystem services in particular, from the natural environment may foster priorities that differ from those of international conservation organizations and tourism operators catering to wealthy international tourists (Roe and Walpole 2010).…”

L-Band Polarimetric Target Decomposition of Mangroves of the Rufiji Delta, Tanzania

“…Changes in salinity and inundation patterns may impact the regeneration and species composition of forests [5,6]. The pressures on the mangroves of mainland Tanzania have led Mangora to conclude that their survival is in doubt [7]. Hence, tools are needed with which to survey mangrove forests, their composition and health.…”

Actor, Interest and Conflict in Sustainable Mangrove Forest Management—A Case from Indonesia

“…Exacerbated by poor coordination between the local government district agencies (forestry, fisheries, and environment) where they often overlap in the programs and activities of mangrove forest management. It is proposed to cooperate between government district agencies and local communities (Mangora, 2010;Nurse and Kamba, 1999). …”