Family Alliance For Development And Cooperation, Tanzania

Analysis of the problems facing the environment

Introduction:

Before one can work out solutions to existing problems, a deeper understanding of the situation on the ground needs to be made. This was the first task of FADECO. It is never appropriate to assume or take things for granted.At least this is not the case in Kagera region.

Behaviour is defined by a number of parameters including education background, social background and status, exposure to the outside world, interactions with others, etc. Therefore, before Fadeco could embark on any project, a participatory appraisal of some sort has always been conducted. Several mistakes have also been avoided and old ones corrected.

Results of PRA exercise conducted in 1995 with support from Ms Olivia Webley (Care International in Tanzania)

The exercise took 8 weeks in two wards of Nyakasimbi and Rugu. During this exercise, the communities in Nyakasimbi and Rugu wards were able to identify a number of environmental problems facing them as follows:

• Bush fires

• destruction of vegetation and forests

• long distance to water sources

• shortage of fuel wood

• soil erosion

• declining soil fertility / low crop yields

• heavy workload on women

• drying up of water sources

• destruction of seedlings by termites

• poor crop husbandry practices

• low knowledge on environment conservation

• poor nutrition of children

Other environment related problems that were identified:

• poor roads

• drunkenness

• destructive animals

• poor feeding habits

• poor access to markets

• low incomes

Analysis of the root causes of some of the above problems:

1. Bush-fires

Bush fires was ranked as the highest among all problems. A wide cross-section of the people in the wards were asked to contribute their views on what they think are the major causes of the bush fires. The following reasons were mentioned:

• school children start fires to avoid being sent to bring grass by their teachers

• cattle keepers to get fresh grass for their livestock

• to open up new farms (shifting agriculture)

• for no reason

• to facilitate easy hunting of wild game

• new grass attracts sweet/ fresh grass that attracts wild life

• to expose under ground bee mounds

• by accident when harvesting honey

• cattle keepers want to kill ticks

• people want to chase away dangerous snakes and insects

• burning measures one's life expectancy and prosperity (traditional belief)

• as a means for revenge and retribution (a weapon to punish others)

What the elders say are the main causes:

FADECO interviewed a few old persons who had been in government before independence (1950's). Mr. Mushongi and Mr. Tibandebage of Kasheshe-Misha had this to say:

"At some point Karagwe was covered in forests. There were many rivers and plenty of rainfall. Many of the water sheds like Ruhita, L. Burigi and Rukuraijo were formed as result of heavy torrential rains experienced during those years. However, at the time the district experienced three major enemies: wild enemies, Tsetse flies and malaria.

Administratively, it was very difficult to move about in Karagwe because of wild animals including lions, elephants, buffalos and snakes. Transportation and movement by then was by foot on small tracks that meandered through the forests. Chiefs found it difficult to collect taxes. Then there came the outbreak of Malaria and Tsetse flies. These cause a lot of deaths in people (amidst poor health service delivery and facilities at the time) and livestock.

In order to curb the situation, it was decided by act of local Government to institute a bye law whereby selected areas of forests had to be clear fell and all grasses burnt as a counter measure to deal away with the enemies that were on top of the list. So it became law every dry season for all men and older boys to get involved in bush burning and forest clearing. This had sanctions and punishments for those who objected.

The law became embedded in the traditional laws of the people and was passed on from one generation to the next until it became a habit. Children were punished for not participating in the bush burning exercise as well as their fathers who would be sanctioned and highly fined. This practice continued to today. So some people would not give you any reason for the burning."

Are the enemies mentioned by these two elders still a problem today to warrant the existence of more bush fires ?

Definitely things have now however changed. The enemies that once tormented the people have now become extinct. Reserves for wild game have been established like Rumanyika and Burigi game reserves where these wild animals can now be found. The after effects of that traditional burning are now visible in the bare hills, pronounced soil erosion, poor and inconsistent rains, etc. The major issues now are economic and environment upkeep.

What are other people's views and perception:

• it is a long tradition difficult to undo

• it is a mere habit and can be rectified through sensitization and law enforcement

• it will take long to undo the habit but it is better to try

• sensitization should go along with tree planting activities

• fuel saving technologies should be introduced

• it is useless to continue planting trees when they are burnt

• people do not respect common land (they want private ownership of land)

• weak enforcement of the law coupled with corruption.

2. Destruction of vegetation and forests:

This is manifested through excessive tree cutting with minimum replacement through tree planting. Natural regeneration is not possible because of the constant bush fires. Forests are known to have been destroyed for the following reasons:-

• to get timber, firewood, timber for furniture and poles for building

• to open up new areas for farming

• to establish new settlements

• to get wood for burning their bricks

• to make charcoal which is sold on road sides to vehicles passing through

3. Long distances to water sources:

With the exception of Kakanja and Kimuli villages (kimuli ward), which are served by a gravity water supply system, there rest of the ward is experiencing severe water problem. In Nyakasimbi, it is the same situation. More than half of the traditional springs have dried up while the few remaining ones have very little water.

Women and girls have to walk long distances (4 - 8 Km) usually spending many hours (3-4 hours a day) in search of water. The boreholes constructed with assistance from KOKEN - JICA have either dried up also or have little discharge of water. It should be understood that, traditionally it is the women wjho have to fetch water AND NOT THE MEN!?

3. Heavy workload onto the Productive capacity of Women and Children:

This has negative impacts on the women and is a contributing factor to the increased women workload and poor child care practices cited by some few medical staff at the two dispensaries of Nyakasimbi, Kimuli and Kikukuru .

This together with fuel wood scarcity contributes a great deal to the heavy workload shouldered by the women. Children have to spend lots of time looking for firewood or fetching water at home and at school at the expense of learning or doing other productive work at their homes. It goes without saying that child labour even in this case is common because some children have to earn extra coin for their school fees through sale of firewood and burning charcoal.

4. Soil erosion:

Throughout the wards, there are different manifestations of soil erosion. In Kikukuru, Mkunyu and Kimuli, it is sheet and gulley erosion which is widespread. This has led to other significant problems cited like declining soil fertility as the topsoil is removed and washed to the valley bottoms causing a further problem of silting.

Road communication is difficult in most parts of the villages as big gullies cut across roads making it difficult for motor vehicles to go through. This leads to another problem of limited access to markets. This also leads to poor incomes since people cannot sell the little produced.

Opportunities identified:

During this PRA exercise, the communities were asked what they thought could be done to reverse the present trend. Their responses are given here below:

• enforcement of existing government laws and by-laws

• tree planting and natural regeneration

• training and sensitization

• introduction of energy saving stoves

• soil conservation practices / techniques

• improved crop husbandry practices

• appropriate technology farming and energy saving technologies

• protection of water catchment areas

• grow termite resistant varieties

• introduce organic farming techniques and agro-forestry

• intensify campaigns for environment conservation

Way forward towards sustainable environment conservation:

As can be concluded from the non biased responses of the communities involved in the PRA exercise, FADECO finds it appropriate to design project addressing these issues. Due to limited resources, FADECO has concentrated for this activity only in two wards of Kimuli and Nyakasimbi, with some success. More is yet to be done but already there are signs of hope.