Forest Governance Hearing


Abdallah Ulega Gala – District Commissioner, Kilwa District, Lindi Region



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Abdallah Ulega Gala – District Commissioner, Kilwa District, Lindi Region





Mr. Ulega noted that 90% of the testimonies were relevant for the government. He also said that he, although a District Commissioner in Kilwa, is a resident of Mkuranga District, Coast Region. Mr. Ulega felt that Coast Region residents have been long term victims of poor forest governance. The proximity to the Dar-es-Salaam market has been a curse and not a blessing. Coast Region is producing most of Dar’s charcoal rather than producing environmentally benign horticultural products.
Mr. Ulega noted that he could see people from Kisarawe/Mkuranga carrying bags of charcoal to Dar but he also felt that they did not benefit, there was no development from their efforts. Mr. Ulega felt that the charcoal trade was leading to environmental degradation and the drying up of water sources. He provided the example of how people in his community paid TSh 800 for a 5 - Litre container of water and paid Tsh 3,000 for buying water for each household per each day.
Mr. Ulega stated that there was a need to promote alternatives to producing charcoal. He questioned why income generating activities, such as rearing chickens, were not being promoted. He gave the example of how it cost TSh 300,000 for villagers to buy a chainsaw and move to Kisegese Village to make charcoal. He informed the plenary that many villagers near Kimanzi Chana are now making charcoal in Kisegese Village. He explained that charcoal is a quick cash provider. There were no viable agricultural alternatives.
The DC informed participants that he had banned timber harvesting in Kilwa District two weeks earlier. He stated that people were clearing forest for agriculture and that sesame production was the leading agricultural activity in Kilwa. He informed participants that TSh 450,000 was the median per capita income in Kilwa (which is less than 1,500/day or $1/day) but that the government’s target is TSh 850,000. He stated that sesame is a good cash crop, it is profitable but it stimulates land clearing and deforestation and it requires a lot of labour. He mentioned that migrants from Newala and Tandahimba Districts were moving to Nanjirinji Village in Kilwa District in order to grow sesame.
The DC mentioned that there are 28 illegal ports in Kilwa, which are used to transport illegal timber. He noted that logs are more difficult to transport than sawn timber, therefore, he felt it better to require traders to transport logs and thereby reduce illegal timber trade. The DC conceded that there is corruption in forestry. The DC stated that his constituents don’t benefit from the timber trade but neither do they stop illegal forest trade. The DC mentioned that Nanjirinji Village received TSh 50 million from sales of African Blackwood to Sound N’ Fair, which were facilitated by the NGO Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative (MCDI). He stated that stakeholders must find ways to empower communities by surveying Forest Reserves so that communities can own the majority of forests.
    1. Inger Naess – Counsellor, Environment and Climate Change, Embassy of Norway


Inger Naess – Counsellor, Environment and Climate Change, Embassy of Norway


Ms. Naess observed that the meeting and its discussions were promising, presumably referring to the positive responses of government representatives to community concerns. She felt that governance is the biggest problem in forestry that had resulted in forests continuing to disappear.
Ms. Naess expressed disappointment that there was a lack of willingness on the part of the government, since 90% funds for forestry came from donors. She stated that government relies on donors to support forests. Ms. Naess proclaimed that Development Partners are willing to support forestry but the available level of support is only limited compared to what is needed.
Ms. Naess stated that there was a need to cooperate between central government, local governments and NGOs. She said that MCDI in Kilwa District was a success story although activities in Kisarawe District were not as successful. Ms. Naess reminded the plenary that there was a need to address drivers of deforestation. There is a need for income generating activities and the issue of benefit sharing is so important.


  1. PLENARY DISCUSSIONS

    1. First Round of Plenary Discussions


David Yonaza – District Executive Director, Kibaha District, Coast Region:

Mr. Yonaza mentioned the coppicing/shifting agriculture system was disappearing with large pineapple cultivation, land leases and pastoralist migrations into Coast Region. He stated that land availability is now a problem in Kibaha and urged TFS to promote beekeeping, alternative energy and environmental education to all. TFS should promote the planting of fast growing trees. He said that since forestry was a cross cutting issue it required a cross sectoral solution.
Phillipo Mbaga – Farm Africa:

Mr. Mbaga called for a code of conduct for Villages, Wards, Districts, TFS and the private sector. He urged that there should be stringent monitoring in order to ensure that these codes of conduct are implemented. He enquired why modern technology, such as log tracking technology, could not be used. He advised that benefits need to be market based, and not just reliant on fines and captures. He stressed the need for chainsaws to be registered and regulated.
Valentine Msusa – TFS:

Mr. Msusa informed the plenary that in the upcoming fiscal year 2013/2014, 10,000m3 of logs will be processed by TFS in order to reduce prices of beehives from the current TSh 200,000/hive to TSh 50,000/hive. TFS wanted to produce easily assembled beehives and also wanted to expand beekeeping knowledge to Coast Region.
TFS planned to provide each district with funds that would be used to establish demonstration nurseries by using clonal eucalypts which have been developed by TAFORI. The intention was to have fast growing tree provenances such as teak trees with rotation periods reduced from 40 to 20 years.
Mr. Msusa also informed participants that the Tanzania Forest Fund (TFF) is providing funds to projects of between TSh 5 million and 50 million. He urged stakeholders to assist communities to write fundable project proposals. He reminded members that the government had previously began a log tracking initiative but that it had stopped suddenly. He promised to restart log tracking in the fiscal year 2013/2014 with pilots in some of the country’s plantations.
Mr. Msusa reminded participants that Government Notice 69/70 of 2006 prohibits the use of chainsaws in natural forests. He added that because of chainsaws 38,000 hardwood planks were ceased in Mtambaswala, 6,000 hardwood planks were ceased in Tunduru and 8,000 hardwood planks were ceased in Liwale. He stated that in the upcoming fiscal year TFS plans to put District Forest Managers in 80 Districts and that 200 motorcycles have been ordered in order to make forest managers more mobile. He also said that PFM guidelines were being reviewed.




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