1. 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
Jeremias Gasper Mowo

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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

10. ASANTE