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An ambitious forest conservation project jointly implemented by the Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) Agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is beginning to improve livelihoods and strengthen sustainable forest management in Tabora and Katavi regions.
Communities in the two regions are increasingly generating income and employment through conservation-linked activities, according to findings from a monitoring visit by the project's Technical Committee on July 15 and 16.
Briefing officials ahead of the tour, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Conservation at TFS, Dr Zainabu Bungwa, said the Integrated Dryland Miombo Forest Conservation Project was producing tangible results by combining environmental restoration with community development.
She said the initiative has supported the formation of community economic groups, construction of essential infrastructure, procurement of vehicles and motorcycles for forest management, establishment of tree seed storage facilities, agroforestry demonstration plots, beekeeping enterprises, designated livestock grazing areas and the promotion of clean cooking energy technologies.
"The project is demonstrating that forest conservation and improved livelihoods can go hand in hand. Communities are actively participating in sustainable forest management while creating new sources of income," Dr Bungwa said.
Tabora Regional Administrative Secretary John Gharuth Mboya said greater coordination among regional and district authorities would be crucial to sustaining the project's achievements.
He recommended the preparation of a comprehensive report for Regional and District Security Committees to deepen understanding of the project's objectives, progress and contribution to local economic development.
In Katavi, Regional Forest Officer Augustine Hildagadess, who represented the Regional Administrative Secretary, called on communities to formally set aside grazing areas to minimise land-use conflicts and support long-term forest conservation.
Following visits to Mtakuja and Legezamwili villages in Mlele District, he said project experts would continue working with local communities to develop land-use plans that balance environmental protection with agricultural and livestock production.
The Technical Committee split into two teams during the inspection. One assessed project activities in Sikonge District, the TFS Forest Protection and Beekeeping Centre in Mlele and held meetings with regional and district authorities in Katavi. The second team visited project sites in Urambo and Kaliua districts.
The Integrated Dryland Miombo Forest Conservation Project is financed by the Global Environment Facility through FAO and implemented by TFS in collaboration with the Vice President's Office (Environment), the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), the ministries responsible for Water and Livestock, the President's Office–Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), and community organisations.
With a budget of US$6.79 million, the project is being implemented between 2023 and 2027. It aims to restore about 34,000 hectares of degraded miombo woodland, improve the livelihoods of communities living around forests and strengthen the sustainable management of Tanzania's forest resources.
