Tanzanian Champion on environment picked

Samia Suluhu Hassan  (54), has been picked to run for vice president for the coming Tanzania major election in October 2015 for the fifth president since its independence. Before 2000, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan was an activist with no interests in politics. And yet, 14 years down the lane she has rose through the ranks to become the Vice-Chairperson of the last ended Constitution Assembly in Dodoma in 2015. In addition, the soft-spoken activist turned politician is the Minister of State in the Vice-President's Office. Samia Suluhu Hassan is currently the Minister of State at the Vice President’s Office for Union Affairs in the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania. Prior to this she has been the Minister for Tourism, Trade and Investment (2005 - 2010) and Minister for Youth Employment, Women and Children Development (2000 – 2005) at the Zanzibar Government. In October 2013, she participated at the  panel in Norway and she addressed  questions in particular relevant to Tanzania on:  To what extent are REDD+ efforts catalyzing transformation change in the management of forests? What are the most significant barriers to accelerated progress?  In what ways can the international community provide support for national-level initiatives?. If wins, Samia will be the champion for environment as the country looses nearly 400Ha per annum of forests. 

In support of Conservation Implementation WWF adopts on Social Development principles and policies

The move by WWF in adoption of Social Development for Conservation (SD4C) principles and policies,  reaffirms its commitment to strengthen and more clearly articulate the linkages between conservation and social development. WWF believes and have envisioned that social development are integral to WWF’s core conservation work through the application of social policies and safeguards, and the integration of sustainable development and social equity in their priority programmes. 

A group of WWF focal points for SD4C in Africa regional hub met in Nairobi for 3 day training which happened on 26th - 28th May 2015

The group revisited the social policies which WWF subscribes to which are on Human rights,  Poverty and Nature, Indigenous people and Gender and acknowledged to have social indicators in their conservation programmes. Further to that a social safeguards tool were developed and will be tested  throughout the region to see the compliant in SD4C frameworks. 

Tanzania-Kenya move to check Illegal Timber Trade

On 24th March 2015, a new forest cooperation agreement was signed between Kenya and Tanzania, which set to improve the effectiveness of measures to reduce rampant illegal logging and timber trade across the border.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Kenya Forest Service and the Tanzania Forest Service outlines cooperative measures to help improve the management of critical natural resources such as forests in the two countries.

Speaking in Arusha, Tanzania during the signing ceremony for the MOU, the Chief Executive of Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) Mr. Juma S. Mgoo noted that the implementation of the MOU would, over the next five-years, focus on trans-boundary collaboration on law enforcement to reduce illegal trade in forest resources such as timber.

“This is the beginning and we hope that in five years, all the areas identified by the MOU will be fully implemented.  We aim to focus on undertaking law enforcement jointly and exchanging information of trade and harvesting operations between both countries. The purpose of this is to ensure that there is compliance on both sides where traders in Tanzania and Kenya comply with laws and regulations regarding the management and utilization of forest resources so that they are not depleted.” said Mr. Mgoo

The Director of Kenya Forest Services Emilio Mugo noted that the implementation of the MOU would help manage forest resources of both countries sustainably.

“This MOU is an effort to manage our forest resources in a more sustainable manner together with our counterparts in Tanzania. We have together agreed to coordinate our monitoring and law enforcement activities and share information regarding trade in forest products along with taping into the knowledge base of forest related products available in both our countries.”

The MOU is the result of a years’ work by the signatories, WWF and TRAFFIC, which facilitated exchange visits and organized several meetings. It is also expected to open the doors for greater cooperation and exchange of experience in issues such as coordination of monitoring and law enforcement, cross-border information sharing and sharing of expertise on forest products.

“We expect that the signing of this MOU will benefit the people of Kenya and Tanzania who deserve increased access to benefits from forest resources which are currently absorbed by illegal activities run by a very small group of people,” said Isaac Malugu, WWF Tanzania’s Forest Programme Coordinator. 

Over time, concern has been growing over the expansion of illegal trade in forest products across the borders between Tanzania and Kenya.  Between May and October 2011, a study carried out by the East Africa Wildlife Society in partnership with the Tanzania Natural Resources Forum titled, The Trade in Forest Products Between Tanzania and Kenya revealed that Tanzania might have lost revenues estimated at USD 8.33 million annually due to inaccurate recording of figures and volumes of forest products, under-valuation of timber and poles, illegal charcoal business and illegal harvesting and sales of logs moving across boarders.

The same study revealed that the poorly regulated trade in forest products between Kenya and Tanzania only amounted to a loss of USD 10,000 annually to Kenya.  The study also established that considerable movement of timber and other forest related products across the border is carried out at the border points of Horohoro/Lunga Lunga, Holili/Taveta and Namanga but with numerous illegal crossing points present in both Kenya and Tanzania.

Investors are eyeing on Tunduru massif miombo woodlands

During a recent visit by Nordic investors, who visited Tunduru district, it was interesting for them to indicate possibility on investing in the region. Located in the southern part of Tanzania, at the border with Mozambique, the district is part of the Ruvuma landscape vested with abundant natural resources; miombo forests, wildlife and elephant corridors, rivers with all the fishes, and of course minerals of all kinds including uranium, nickel and copper.  
The Nordic group had 2 days visit in Tunduru to interact with communities who are managing forest resources and sharing possibilities of  investing in locally controlled forests. Opportunities and challenges were identified and analyzed, but it was good to observe the high level of interests to invest in Tunduru. With the upcoming developments in infrastructural sectors such as improvement of roads, railways and ports, this will promote sustainable development and improve the livelihoods of the people in the south. 

Why it is important to invest in locally controlled forests in Tanzania

There has been an increasing level of land-based external investments around large scale agricultural schemes or agri-businesses, biofuel developments and forest plantations largely mediated through government-corporate arrangements that in many cases have led to land and resource conflicts with local land users and rights holders. The returns on investments (economically, socially and environmentally) have been mixed. These evolutions also reflect a new narrative in at least some donor countries and agencies towards trade and market solutions in development aid that focus on the corporate sector itself driving change and delivering on development.

Participatory Forest Management – PFM being an approach adopted by Tanzanian legislation and policy is based on local forest and land rights holders and managers that have significant potential to address forest conservation, production and meet development goals without the risks associated with conflict over land and resource tenure. But it has not been the case with challenges related to commercial rights, benefit rights and facing difficulties where there is no government or donor support. This support over the past decade has provided the basic ‘enabling environment’ but there is now a need for innovative approaches in order to scale up and further evolve, for sustained investment to the local manager-producer entities, based on sound business plans and negotiated agreements with the private sector in processing and marketing. This is what we call ‘investing in locally controlled forests – ILCF.

Currently, this initiative is very much supported by WWF and has been promoting dialogue between local forest managers and others to promote enabling environment for the needed investments for viable forest enterprises that meet economic, environmental and social development objectives.