EKOSIASA CBFM CASE STUDIES

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EKOSIASA CBFM CASE STUDIES

• J.M. Abdallah
• SUA
• Morogoro

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Background

• The importance of community forestry was felt
  early in the 1980s
• it was not until the mid 1990s that CBFM started
  making news in Tanzania particularly with the
  famous Duru-Haitemba Community Forest Reserve.

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Management issues

• Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) involves
  management of village forest lands or so called
  village forest reserves.
• In most cases it is designed to transform
  unsustainable management of existing natural
  forests in the villages, to more sustainable
  management.

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Management issues

• These forests are managed by village governments
  through established Village Forest Committees
  (VFCs)
• The VFCs are responsible for day to day forest
  management activities such as patrolling, gap
  planting, and fire fighting in collaboration with
  other villagers.
• With assistance from local supporting
  organizations, they use forest management
  guidelines and by-laws formulated and approved by
  the respective district council for use in each
  village.

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Management issues

• In Community Based Forest Management, the local
  communities are the actual decision makers during
  the planning and implementation,
• but need to be guided by the District authorities
  through established guidelines
• These bodies are legal entities with respective
  powers.

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Management issues

• Decision making power is based on the fact that
  the CBFM areas are common holds of the local
  communities

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Management issues

• Limitation on access to firewood, building
  materials (thatching grass, timber and poles),
  grazing area, source of water, medicines, source
  of food (fruits, honey, mushroom, wild meat), and
  social cultural activities.
• Locally controlled grazing patterns
• The bureaucratic approach to conflict resolution
  puts the main emphasis on formal government
  officials and institutions

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Management issues

• .despite having a well-defined platform for
  management, implementation has not been without
  problems. The bylaws have at times been used
  successfully to fine and/or send offenders to
  jail. In addition, the Environmental Committees
  have been meeting regularly to deal with
  occurring problems. However, they have not always
  been able to take the appropriate action in some
  of the villages.

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Management issues..

• The purpose of CBFM is
• improved socio-economic situation of the people,
  poverty reduction, improved natural resource
  management and equitable utilization for
  sustainable management
• Achievement of the objective is based on
  successful implementation of the on-going
  community activities including
• livestock keeping, farming and management of
  available natural resources (water sources,
  forest, wildlife, land and beekeeping etc.)

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• The challenges include ensuring sustainable
  exploitation, benefit sharing, involvement of
  actors and apportioning roles and
  responsibilities among the community, district
  council and central government.
• Therefore
• Investigation of the role of CBFM in poverty
  reduction is crucial. is there a link btn
  community conservation and poverty?
• On the other hand, it is important to examine the
  ways the CBFM may empower various actors and
  actor groups on an equal basis or, on the
  contrary, lead to favorisation of some
  individuals and/or groups and marginalisation of
  others.

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The case studies

• The project propose two case studies under CBFM
• one (Suledo community forest) situated in a dry
  miombo area, with possibilities for harvesting
  timber,
• and the other (Duru-Haitemba forest) in a wetter
  environment, where communities are likely to
  benefit from eco-tourism activities, eco-friendly
  farming practices as well as harvesting
  non-timber forest products.

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Suledo community forest

• Suledo CBFM initiatives started in the Suledo
  area in 1994.
• is a multi-ethnic society from nine villages.
• Situated in the south-eastern corner of Kiteto
  District
• Found in the three Wards of Sunya, Lengatei and
  Dongo, from which it derives its name.
• bordering Handeni, Kilosa and Kongwa Districts,
  in Arusha region, Tanzania.

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Suledo community forest

• The total population of these nine villages is
  53,909.
• This is a vast and species rich Miombo forest
  covering an area of 167,416 ha.
• The major and unique characteristic of the forest
  is that it is used mainly for grazing by the
  Maasai who are pastoralists and initially owned
  the land.

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Suledo community forest

• Gradual in-migration of other tribes has resulted
  in quite diversified society bringing in other
  land uses mainly farming.
• The Maasai are also gradually starting farming
  activities as well.
• This situation brings new challenges to the
  residents who want to continue to manage the
  forest sustainably

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Duru-Haitemba Forest

• Duru Haitemba is a miombo woodland forest,
• lies on low hills about 20 km South of Babati
  town in Babati district Manyara Region- Tanzania.
  
• With an area of 9000 ha,
• the woodlands represent the only remaining tract
  of forest of any significance in the otherwise
  well settled and cultivated Babati District
• Duru Haitemba is owned and managed by eight
  village communities,
• each village managing the forest within its
  village land.

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Duru-Haitemba Forest

• where after more than 10 years of community
  management the villagers are now considering low
  level commercial harvesting of their forest.
• communities are also likely to benefit from
  eco-tourism activities, eco-friendly farming
  practices as well.
• This is because much of the early PFM was carried
  out on degraded forest land that had little
  tradeable timber left.
• This meant that utilisation opportunities for
  forest managers were limited and long lead-times
  were required before the forests became
  commercially viable