Land Restoration in Tanzania: Learning from the past National Workshop on Re-greening Tanzania: Combating Desertification and Restoring Degraded Lands into Food Baskets Dodoma 18 – 19 June 2016 j.mowo@cgiar.org Jeremias Gasper Mowo www.worldagroforestry.org

Land degradation: counting losses 65 % of population in the region is rural 90 % of their livelihoods is agricultural based Yield losses from land degradation range from 2 – 40 % 1.1 % annual forests losses in Tanzania & Malawi and 0.3% in Kenya

Land degradation: counting losses Country Total cost (Million US $) Economic loss (% of GDP) Tanzania 35.96 23.2 Malawi 16.28 7.5 Ethiopia 7.65 26.2 Kenya 20.23 15.0 Total 80.12 14.9

Globally: Biodiversity loss: 27,000 species annually Value of ecosystems services lost annually = US $6.3 - $10.6 trillion Equivalent to: 10 - 17% of global GDP

Land Restoration efforts in Tanzania Pre-independence: The establishment of a Soil Erosion Committee in 1929 The Sukumaland resettlement Scheme (1944–1958) The destocking and resettlement schemes in Mbulu and Masailand (1945 – 1960)

Land Restoration efforts in Tanzania Post independence: Soil Conservation programs implemented: Dodoma (HADO) Shinyanga (HASHI) Iringa (HIMA) Arusha (SCAPA) Tanga (SECAP) and Singida The afforestation campaigns and village afforestation programs The arid zone afforestation project

Land Restoration Efforts in Tanzania The HASHI Project Ngitili (enclosed fodder reserve) in Shinyanga By 2004 monthly benefits of 14 US $ per person recorded. By 2010 more than 500,000 ha of Ngitili up from 600 ha at the start of the program in the 80’s.

Unfortunately, most of these programs have collapsed Funding limitation Failure to involve local communities & their institutions in planning and implementation Non use and appreciation of indigenous techniques and knowledge Lack of a comprehensive approach to the problem Lack of inter-sectoral collaboration Absence of an exit strategy for externally funded projects Lack of effective scaling up mechanism

Lessons learnt: Need to involve the local communities in projects Need for strong local institutions Importance of Villages by-laws & their enforcement Ownership: Allow traditional institutions and village governments to oversee restoration efforts Incorporate a viable exit strategy projects

ASANTE