Africa-Press – Tanzania. ACTIVE involvement of local communities in managing and benefiting from natural resources is essential to reducing conflicts over land and resources in the country.
This was noted at a three-day conference titled “Africa in the Age of Uncertainties: Risk, Resilience and Future Prospects,” part of the 2024 Voice of Social Science (VSS) International Symposium.
Dr Emmanuel Sulle, Assistant Professor and Director of the Arusha Climate & Environmental Research Centre, emphasised the historical roots of resource-related conflicts in Tanzania, dating back to the colonial era when local access to forests, wildlife and farmlands was restricted.
“This colonial legacy still influences policies today, favouring state control over local land rights, often resulting in recurring and sometimes violent conflicts,” Dr Sulle noted.
Dr Sulle highlighted that while Tanzania has recognised the role of local communities in conservation, implementation has been inconsistent.
For example, the Wildlife Policy of 1998 included provisions for community participation and benefitsharing from resources on their land. However, complex land laws, external pressures and competing interests have limited its effectiveness.
“Tanzania has made strides, but real progress requires policy reforms and a stronger role for local people in resource management,” he explained.
Dr Sulle pointed out that the liberalisation period of the 1990s, intended to boost the economy, intensified land conflicts as farmers, pastoralists and investors vied for valuable land.
Today, clashes continue, with conflicts arising between farmers and pastoralists, local communities and mining authorities and even wildlife officers and villagers.
“These ongoing tensions are a result of policies that disregard local land use practices and lack meaningful engagement with communities,” he said.
Professor Issa Shivji, a prominent Tanzanian scholar and advocate for community-based conservation, echoed Dr Sulle’s call for policy reform.
He argued that Tanzania’s current “fortress conservation” model, which excludes local communities from decision-making, is ineffective.
“True conservation requires recognising and incorporating the historical role of local communities in resource management. Local communities have long been stewards of forests and wildlife, even before formal conservation programs began,” Prof Shivji said.
Dr Sulle also stressed the importance of moving beyond the exclusive focus on protected areas to embrace new categories like “Traditional Territories,” where local communities can manage resources based on their traditional knowledge and practices.
He cited successes in some regions where communities have negotiated more favourable terms for participating in conservation, particularly in tourism and wildlife management, despite the limitations of current policies.
Both experts underscored the need for a shift in conservation approaches, advocating for models that prioritise local community involvement, benefit-sharing and a cooperative relationship between government authorities and local populations.
This shift, they argued, could help to ease tensions over resources and establish more sustainable, resilient ecosystems for future generations.
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