Misitu Yetu kwa Jamii Yetu

Our Forest for Our Community

Yaliyomo

1. Utangulizi
2. Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu
3. Rasilimali za Misitu
4. Misitu ya Miombo
5. Mpingo
6. Misitu ya Ukanda wa Pwani
7. Jamii zinazoishi kandokando ya misitu /li>
8. Jamii inavyohusishwa katika kusimamia na kuendeleza misitu
9. Manufaa ya Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu kwa Jamii

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Participatory Forest Management
3. Forest resources
4. Miombo woodland
5. Mpingo
6. Coastal forests
7. Forest-adjacent communities
8. Community involvement in managing and developing forests
9. Participatory Forest Management benefits to local communities

Utangulizi

Misitu ni mazingira ya mimea kwa wingi hasa miti ya kimo chochote. Misitu humpatia binadamu matumizi mbalimbali kutokana na shughuli zake za kila siku. Misitu imekuwa ikitupatia maji, hewa safi, kuni, mbao, rutuba nzuri ya ardhi pamoja na matumizi mengine mengi. Hata hivyo binadamu ni kiumbe anayechangia kwa kasi kupungua kwa kiwango cha misitu siku hadi siku kwa kuwa tumekuwa tukifikiri misitu iliyopo itaendelea kuwepo siku zote, na kutokana na hali hiyo wengi tumekuwa tukidhani hakuna umuhimu wa kuhifadhi misitu. Kama hatutachukua hatua za tahadhari sasa za kuhifadhi misitu kikamilifu itafikia wakati itakuwa imekwisha kabisa na watoto wetu watapata matatizo makubwa kwani hawatapata rasilimali za misitu kwa urahisi miaka ijayo.

Jarida hili limeandaliwa mahususi kuielimisha na kuihamasisha jamii juu ya usimamizi wa misitu yao ili jamii nzima ipate kuelewa, kutunza na kutumia rasilimali za misitu kwa uendelevu ili kupata manufaa kwa vizazi vilivyopo na vijavyo.

Introduction

Forests are habitats with many plants especially trees of all different sizes. Human beings benefit from a lot of uses of the forest in their daily lives. Through forests we get water, fresh air, firewood, timber, fertile soil and a variety of other uses. However, people contribute to a great extent in causing forest degradation as they believe that the existing forests are there to stay forever; because of this we have not realized the need to conserve our forests. If we do not take precautionary measures to conserve our forests properly a time will come when forests will be wiped out and the future generations will suffer for lack of adequate forest resources.

This booklet has been prepared specifically for the purpose of educating and raising awareness of the local communities in managing of their forest, so that they can understand properly their rights and benefits to be gained, and hence manage the forest resources sustainably for the benefit of the present and future generations.

Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu

Sera ya Taifa ya Misitu imebadilika. Sasa jamii imepewa majukumu zaidi. Majukumu mbalimbali ya wadau yameainishwa kwenye Sera ya Taifa ya Misitu ya mwaka 1998, Mpango wa Taifa wa Misitu wa Mwaka 2001-2010, Mwongozo wa Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu (USM) Tanzania wa mwaka 2001, Sheria ya Misitu ya mwaka 2002 nambari 14 na kanuni za uendeshaji wa misitu 2004.

Mkakati huu wa Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu unaipa jamii sehemu kubwa ya utekelezaji na kupata zaidi manufaa; ni mkakati unaolenga katika kuweka maeneo mengi ya misitu chini ya usimamizi madhubuti na endelevu kwenye ngazi ya jamii. Utaratibu huu unatumika kwenye misitu isiyohifadhiwa ndani ya mipaka ya eneo la kijiji au ardhi huria na misitu ya hifadhi (aidha serikali kuu, serikali za mitaa au serikali za vijiji). Pia mpango huu unaweza kutumika katika misitu ya aina zote kama vile misitu katika kingo za mito na misitu katika naeneo yenye ukame, misitu minene au iliyoathiriwa, misitu mikubwa au midogo. Lengo la usimamizi shirikishi linaweza kuwa uhifadhi au uvunaji au mchanganyiko wa yote.

Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu unatumia taratibu za kuhifadhi na kusimamia misitu. Ni hatua ya kufanya eneo la msitu kuwa eneo la uboreshaji wa msitu kwa ajili ya kuhifadhi na/au uzalishaji kwa matumizi endelevu.

Kuna aina mbili za Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu:-

• Usimamizi katika misitu ya jamii. Hii ni aina ya Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu ambapo jamii ndio wasimamizi wakuu pekee na wanamiliki misitu kwa asilimia mia moja. Hii hufanyika ndani ya ardhi ya kijiji.
• Usimamizi wa muungano. Hii ni aina ya Usimamizi ambapo misitu ya serikali husimamiwa kwa pamoja kati ya wananchi na serikali yenyewe. Hii hufanyika katika misitu ya hifadhi ya serikali.

Participatory Forest Management

The government's forests policy has changed. Now communities have a major role. The responsibilities of each stakeholder are set out in the National Forest Policy of 1998, the National Forest Programme 2001-2010, the Participatory Forest Management (PFM) guidelines of 2001, the Forest Act 2002 Number 14 and the Forest Regulations of 2004.

The Participatory Forest Management approach gives communities a major role in managing the forest and allocates them more benefits; it is a strategy that focuses on putting large areas of forests under effective and sustainable management at local community level. This programme is applicable to unreserved forests that lie within the demarcated village area, and to forest reserves (whether controlled by central government, local government or village government.) The programme is also applicable to all types of forests such as riverine and dry forests, closed or open forests, degraded or pristine. The management objective could be protection, utilization or a combination of both.

Participatory Forest Management is based on principles of forest conservation and management. It is a process to develop a forest area for sustainable harvesting and/or protection purposes.

There are two types of Participatory Forest Management:-

• Community Based Forest Management. This is a form of participatory management in which communities are the sole managers of the forest and own the forest. It is applicable in village lands.
• Joint Forest Management. This is a form of participatory management in which government-owned forest is managed jointly by the community and the government. It occurs within existing forest reserves.

Katika Wilaya nyingine, tayari wenzetu wako mbele na walishaanza kufaidi matunda yatokanayo na Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu ngazi ya Jamii. Kwa mfano Wilaya ya Babati Mkoani Manyara, Wilaya ya Iringa vijijini na Mkoa wa Kilimanjaro kuna jamii zilizonufaika na mpango huu kutokana na kushiriki kikamilifu katika kusimamia misitu inayowazunguka.

Hatua za kufuata katika mpango wa Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu ni:

• Uhamasishaji - Watalaam kukutana na serikali ya kijiji na kutoa elimu kwa mkutano mkuu wa kijiji.
• Kuunda Kamati ya Maliasili ya Kijiji.
• Kukubaliana mipaka ya kijiji na vijiji jirani na kupima mipaka ya kijiji.
• Kutenga eneo la msitu wa kijiji wa kijiji na kupima.
• Tathmini shirikishi ya rasilimali za msitu.
• Uchambuzi shirikishi wa taarifa za rasilimali za misitu.
• Kuandaa rasimu ya mpango wa usimamizi wa msitu.
• Kuandaa mpango wa sheria ndogo za msitu na kuwasilisha kwenye mkutano mkuu wa kijiji ili zipitishwe.
• Kutangazwa kwa eneo la msitu wa kijiji.
• Kujaribu mpango - kuutumia msitu kufuatana na mpango.
• Kuupitia mpango kwa ajili ya kufanya marekebisho.
• Kufanya marekebisho na kuwasilisha kwa Afisa Misitu wa Wilaya.
• Kutekeleza na kufanya ufuatiliaji.

Other Districts are far ahead of us where communities have already started benefiting from the Participatory Forest Management programme. For example in Babati District, Manyara Region, Iringa District and in Kilimanjaro Region there are communities which have already benefited from the forests they manage.

The Participatory Forest Management programme has the following steps:

• Awareness-raising - Facilitators meet with Village Council and introduce the concept to the Village Assembly.
• Formation of Village Natural Resources Committee.
• Agree village boundaries with neighbouring villages and survey the village lands.
• Set aside an area of forest in the village and demarcate the forest boundaries.
• Participatory forest resource assessment.
• Participatory data analysis.
• Develop draft management plan.
• Prepare draft byelaws and present them to the village assembly for approval.
• Declaration of Village Land Forest Reserve.
• Test the management plan - use the forest as per the plan.
• Revise the management plan.
• Present the revised management plan to District Forest Officer.
• Implementation of the management plan and monitoring.

Rasilimali za Misitu

Rasilimali za misitu ziko za aina mbalimbali kama ifuatavyo.

Miti

Kuna miti ya aina nyingi msituni, ambayo hutoa mazao ya aina mbalimbali kama vile mbao ambazo hutumika kutengeneza viti, meza, madawati, kuezekea, kujengea nyumba na matumizi mengine mengi. Miti husaidia katika kukinga upepo mkali hasa karibu na nyumba. Kutokana na kukata misitu yetu ya asili pasipo na utaratibu wa kuirudishia au kuotesha miti mingine, kumechangia kwa kasi kubwa kupungua kwa misitu yetu. Ni muhimu kwa jamii zinazoizunguka misitu kuona umuhimu wa kuitunza, kuhifadhi na kuiendeleza kwa manufaa ya sasa na vizazi vijavyo.

Vilevile misitu huondoa hewa chafu yaani kurekebishwa kwa hali ya hewa na kurudisha hewa safi, pia misitu huhifadhi maji ardhini na kupunguza kasi ya mmomonyoko wa udongo.

Jamii yeyote inapata manufaa ya misitu na miti kwa njia ya kuboresha mazingira na utoaji wa mazao mbalimbali ambayo huhitajika kwa matumizi ya watu kila siku.

Forest Resources

Forest resources can be classified as follows.

Trees

There are many different species of trees in the forest which have a range of uses such as timber for furniture making, building materials and other uses. Trees act as windbreaks, protecting against strong winds around houses. Uncontrolled felling of natural forest without reforestation has significantly degraded our forests. It is therefore important for forest- adjacent communities to realize the need to develop and conserve their forests for the benefit of the present and future generations.

Trees remove pollutants from the air, they sequester carbon and leave the air fresh. Also trees retain water in the soil and reduce the rate of soil erosion.

A pleasant environment and a variety of forest products used in daily life are among the benefits communities get from trees and forests.

Maji

Misitu huhifadhi vyanzo vya maji, visima na mito isikauke. Maji yatokayo kwenye misitu hutumika kwa matumizi mbalimbali ya binadamu kama kunywa, kupikia chakula, kunywesha mifugo na kilimo cha umwagiliaji. Pia maji yanayotiririka toka msituni ndio chanzo cha mito mikubwa kama Mto Ruaha ambayo hsababisha kuzalisha umeme. Upatikanaji wa maji unategemea kwa kiasi fulani uwepo wa misitu. Kama hakuna misitu chemchem zitakauka wakati wa kiangazi na kiwango cha maji kilichopo ardhini kitazidi kushuka na kusababisha visima vikauke.

Misitu husaidia kuhifadhi maji, mvua zinaponyesha kwenye maeneo yenye misitu, matawi / majani ya miti huzuia maji kuanguka moja kwa moja ardhini kwa kupunguza kasi ya maji yanayoanguka ardhini. Maji yaliyopo ardhini huchukuliwa na mizizi ya miti na kutolewa hewani kupitia majani na kufanya hewa iwe na unyevu, baadaye hukusanya mawingu na kusababisha mvua kunyesha. Misitu pia husaidia maji yatiririke kwenye mito kwa kipindi kirefu bila kukauka wakati wa kiangazi. Miaka ya nyuma hali ya hewa ilikuwa nzuri, mvua zilikuwepo za kutosha na misitu iliyokuwepo ilitosheleza mahitaji mbalimbali ya kila siku tofauti na hali ya sasa. Katika siku zijazo kama tukikata misitu yote, mvua zitapungua na mito itakauka wakati wa kiangazi.

Water

Forests protect water sources, streams, shallow wells and rivers from drying out. Water from the forests is used in different ways such as drinking and cooking food, for livestock and for irrigation. Also small streams from a catchment forest form large rivers like the Great Ruaha whose water is used in hydro-electric power generation. The availability of water depends in part on the existence of forests. Where there are no forests springs will run dry during the dry season and the water table will fall causing the land to dry up.

Forests help conserve water; when it rains tree branches and leaves prevent raindrops from falling directly to the ground, thereby slowing the rate water reaches the ground. Water in the soil is taken up by roots to the leaves from which it evaporates; moisture in the air later condenses into clouds causing rain. Forests also help maintain water flow in rivers throughout the dry season. In the past, and in contrast to the present, there was little air pollution, rainfall was plenty and forests were sufficient to fulfil human forest needs. In the future, if we cut down all our forests, rainfall will decrease and rivers may dry up during the dry season.

Udongo

Miti huzuia mmomonyoko wa udongo. Majani ya miti huzuia mvua kuanguka kwa kasi kwenye udongo na huzuia udongo usisafirishwe mbali na maji ya mvua.

Miti mingi ya miombo kama mpingo ina mizizi ambayo huongeza virutubisho kwenye udongo. Misitu inapokatwa na kuchomwa moto, virutubisho vilivyoko kwenye udongo huwa vinachomwa. Udongo unabaki wazi na mvua zinaponyesha virutubisho hivyo huchukuliwa na maji. Hii ndiyo sababu tunasisitiza umuhimu wa kuhifadhi udongo kwa kutokata miti ovyo

Soil

Trees prevent soil erosion. Tree leaves reduces the rate at which rain drops fall to the soil and by doing so prevent soil from being washed away.

Roots of many miombo trees such as mpingo increase soil fertility by providing soil nutrients. Crops grown around these trees give high yields. When trees are felled and burned soil nutrients are depleted. When the ground is bare the soil is easily washed away by rain. This is the reason why we emphasis the importance of conserving the soil by not indiscriminately felling trees.

Miti kama mpingo ina mizizi maalum ambayo hutoa virutubisho kwa udongo.

Trees like mpingo have special roots which help to fertilise the soil.

Misitu ya Miombo

Misitu ya miombo ni uoto unaopatikana kwa wingi katika Wilaya ya Kilwa. Ni misitu ambayo imekuwa ikibadilika kwa kuungua moto mara nyingi. Misitu ya miombo hutupatia faida nyingi ambazo hukidhi mahitaji yetu ya kila siku ya mazao ya misitu. Mahitaji tunayopata kutoka kwenye misitu ya miombo ni kama; nguzo, fito, majani ya kuezekea, kuni, asali, uyoga, kamba, dawa za asili, matunda, mboga pori pamoja na mbao ambazo hutumika kwa matumizi mbalimbali pamoja na kutupatia kipato.

Kutokana na umuhimu wa mazao ya misitu kwa maisha yetu ya kila siku kuna umuhimu wa kuwa na mpango wa matumizi endelevu ya misitu yetu.

Misitu ya miombo ina miti ya aina nyingi ambayo ni ya thamani kama vile mpingo, mninga, msekeseke, mpangapanga na mingineyo. Wengi tunafahamu kuhusu mti wa aina ya mninga kwa kuwa ndio mti unaotumika kwa wingi katika matumizi yetu ya kila siku kama kutengeneza samani. Kuna aina nyingine za miti muhimu yenye thamani lakini kwa kuwa inasafirishwa nje ya nchi wengi wetu hatuifahamu umuhimu wake na thamani yake.

Msekeseke na mpangapanga ni miti inayotoa mbao ambazo huwa zinasafirishwa nje ya nchi. Miti hii ni maarufu kutengeneza samani pamoja na sakafu kwa kuwa zinadumu kwa miaka mingi. Ili isafirishwe mashine zenye visu vigumu na vikali hutumika kupasulia miti hiyo. Si ajabu kuona wafanyabiashara wanaotoka nje ya Wilaya ya Kilwa kuja kukata aina hizi za miti kwa kuwa wanauza kwa bei kubwa sehemu mbalimbali nchini na nchi za nje. Ni jambo jema wafanyabiashara hawa wakaendelea kuja ili mradi tu watavuna kiendelevu na kulipa ushuru ambao utainufaisha jamii.

Miombo woodland

Miombo woodland is the main type of vegetation found in Kilwa District. Miombo woodland is often significantly shaped by bush fires. This type of forest provides us with forest products used in our daily lives such as building poles, firewood, honey, withies, grass for thatching, mushrooms, ropes, traditional medicines, wild fruits and timber for various uses and as a source of income.

We need to plan to use our forests sustainably because of the importance of forest resources in our daily lives.

Miombo woodland has got a lot of valuable trees such as Dalbergia melanoxylon, Pterocarpus spp., Swartzia madagascariensis, Millettia stuhlmanii and others. We all know about Pterocarpus because it is commonly used especially for making furniture. Other valuable timber trees are not known to us because they are felled for export.

Timber from Swartzia madagascariensis and Millettia stuhlmanii are exported for expensive furniture making and flooring because they are durable. For this reason sharp blades must be used when sawing the timber before export. It is common to see businessmen from outside Kilwa District logging in the local area. These species fetch good prices within the country and on the export market. It is fine that these businessmen continue logging as long as they pay a fair price for the forest products for the benefit of the local communities, and also as long as they harvest in a sustainable manner.

Mpingo

Tuna bahati kubwa katika Wilaya ya Kilwa miti ya mipingo inapatikana kwa wingi. Mpingo ni mti unaotoa mojawapo ya mbao zenye thamani kubwa duniani. Sehemu kubwa ya biashara ya mbao za mpingo duniani zinatoka Kusini mwa Tanzania na Kaskazini mwa Msumbiji. Gharama ya leseni kwa miti ya mpingo kwa serikali ya Tanzania ni shilingi 70,000/- kwa kila mita moja ya ujazo. Bei hiyo ni kama wastani wa shilingi 10,000/- kwa kila gogo.

Takribani nusu ya mbao za mpingo zilizokatwa zinatumiwa na wachongaji wa vinyago. Wachongaji hawa wanatengeneza vitu mbalimbali kwa matumizi ya nyumbani kama vijiko na mwiko, na vinyago vizuri ambavyo huwavutia sana watalii kwa kuvinunua.

Vipande vidogo vinatumika kutengeneza vyombo vya muziki, ambavyo ni ghali sana. Watenenenezaji wa vifaa hivyo hupendelea mbao za mpingo kuliko aina nyingine ya miti kutokana na ubora wa vifaa hivyo baada ya kutengenezwa, huwa vina weusi wa asili, vizito, na havibadiliki kutokana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa (unyevu, na ukavu). Pia mti wa mpingo hausababishi kutu kama ukiunganishwa na chuma au bati.

Mpingo

We are lucky in Kilwa District in that we still have good stocks of mpingo (Dalbergia melanoxylon). Mpingo is one of the most valuable timber trees in the world. Most mpingo on the world market comes from Southern Tanzania and Northern Mozambique. Logging licences cost TSh 70,000/- per cubic metre from the Tanzanian Government. This price equates to roughly TSh 10,000/- per log.

Around half of mpingo felled is used for carvings. Carvers make various things for domestic use such as candle sticks and cooking utensils, and they create decorative carvings for sale to tourists.

Small sawn pieces of mpingo are used in the manufacture of musical instruments, which are very expensive. Makers of musical instruments prefer mpingo because of its good quality and its natural black colour; it does not corrode with metal fittings and does not change with weather conditions.

Mradi wa Kuhifadhi Mpingo

Mradi wa Kuhifadhi Mpingo au Mpingo Conservation Project (MCP) ni asasi isiyo ya kiserikali iliyosajiliwa rasimi kisheria mwaka 2004. Asasi hii ina ofisi zake katika jengo la Idara ya Maliasili katika Halmashauri ya Wilaya ya Kilwa. Lengo kuu la asasi hii ni kutekeleza mpango wa Taifa wa Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu kwa kushirikiana na Halmashauri ya Wilaya ya Kilwa.

Awali tangu mwaka 1995 mradi ulikuwa ukifanya kazi za utafiti. Utafiti ulikuwa juu ya mti wa mpingo na jinsi watu wanavyoutumia pamoja na miti mingine ya thamani. Utafiti uliwashirikisha wanafunzi kutoka vyuo vikuu vya Uingereza, Dar es Salaam na Sokoine-Morogoro kwa upande wa Tanzania.

Tunaamini mti wa mpingo una thamani ya pekee na tunaweza kuunganisha uthamani wake na Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu. Kutokana na ushuru wa uvunaji wa mpingo na miti mingine ya thamani utaweza kuongeza kipato cha jamii, na hivyo kutoa mchango mkubwa katika Mkakati wa Kukuza Uchumi na Kuondoa Umasikini Tanzania (MKUKUTA). Mafanikio makubwa yanatarajiwa kupatikana endapo jamii zinazoishi karibu na misitu zitaupokea na kushiriki kikamilifu katika Mpango wa Taifa wa Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu.

Mpingo Conservation Project

The Mpingo Conservation Project (MCP) is a Non-Governmental Organisation legally registered in 2004. The offices of the NGO are within the natural resources department wing of Kilwa District Council office compound. The overall objective of the MCP is to implement the national Participatory Forest Management programme in collaboration with Kilwa District Council.

The MCP has been doing research since 1995. The research was on the ecology of mpingo tree and its uses, and on other miombo trees. The project started as a research initiative involving students from UK universities and students from the universities of Dar es Salaam and Sokoine-Morogoro in Tanzania.

We believe that mpingo has a uniquely high value, and this value can be realised through Participatory Forest Management. Fees from licensing logging mpingo and other high value timber trees will bring extra income to communities hence contribute to poverty reduction as set out in the National Strategy for Economic Growth and Reduction of Poverty (MKUKUTA). Great achievements are envisaged if forest adjacent communities fully commit to the Participatory Forest Management programme.

Misitu ya Ukanda wa Pwani

Misitu ya Ukanda wa Pwani ni misitu iliyofunga yenye miti mirefu na ambayo haipukutishi majani kwa mwaka mzima. Maeneo hayo yanaitwa ni misitu ya Pwani kwa sababu ukiangalia ramani ya Afrika Misitu ya Ukanda wa Pwani inaunda ukanda wenye umbali wa kilomita kama 100 kuingia nchi kavu kutoka baharini. Mikoko haiitwi wa Misitu ya Ukanda wa Pwani.

Misitu ya Ukanda wa Pwani ina aina nyingi ya mimea na wanyama ambayo haipatikani maeneo mengine duniani. Ndio maana wahisani wengi wanapendelea kusaidia uhifadhi wa misitu hii.

Misitu ya Ukanda wa Pwani ni tofauti na misitu ya miombo kwa sababu huwa haina nyasi, na huwa ni vigumu kwa maeneo hayo kuungua moto. Lakini miti mikubwa ikikatwa inatoa uwazi na inakuwa rahisi kushika moto, hivyo ni muhimu kuhifadhi maeneo haya muhimu.

Katika Wilaya ya Kilwa mifano ya misitu hii ni Msitu wa Hifadhi wa Mitundumbea na maeneo yaliyoko karibu na mto Mavuji.

Ingawa misitu hii imekuwa ikihifadhiwa kitaifa, uwepo wake umekuwa ukipungua kwa kasi kubwa siku hadi siku. Hii inatokana na sababu mbalimbali pamoja na kutokuwepo mkakati madhubuti wa serikali kwa siku za nyuma katika matumizi endelevu ya misitu. Na pia kutokushirikishwa na kuelimishwa kwa jamii zinazoishi kando kando mwa misitu juu ya umuhimu wa kuhifadhi na kuilinda. Misitu hii imekuwa ikivunwa kwa miaka mingi kwa ajili ya matumizi ya kawaida kwa jamii na matumizi makubwa kibiashara ambayo hufanywa na wafanya biashara.

Coastal Forests

Coastal Forests are forests with tall trees and a closed canopy; they do not lose leaves during the year. It is called Coastal Forest because if you look at the map of Africa; coastal forests lie in a belt from the sea extending up to 100km inland. Mangroves are not classified as coastal forests.

Coastal forests are rich in a variety of animals and plants which are not found anywhere else in the world. This is the reason why donors prefer to support conservation of this type of forest.

Coastal forests differ from miombo woodland as they contain few grasses, and do not burn easily. However, when big trees are felled gaps are opened up increasing vulnerability to fire, so it is important to protect this type of forest.

In Kilwa District one example of such forests are Mitundumbea Forest Reserve and adjoining areas close to Mavuji River.

Although there have been national initiatives to protect these forests they have nonetheless been rapidly degraded. This was due to many factors including the earlier lack of an effective strategy on the part of the government for sustainable utilization, non-involvement of forest adjacent communities and lack of awareness. These forests have been harvested for years to meet basic community needs and for substantial profit by loggers.

Jamii Zinazoishi Kando Kando ya Misitu

Matumizi endelevu ya rasilimali zitokanazo na misitu zinaweza kuleta mafanikio makubwa kwa jamii zinazoishi karibu na misitu hiyo pale tu jamii husika zitakapotambua umuhimu wa kutunza, kuilinda na matumizi endelevu ya misitu hiyo.

Ili kuweza kufanikisha matumizi endelevu ya rasilimali za misitu ya ni muhimu kwa jamii zinazoishi kandokando ya misitu zikapatiwa elimu inayohusu mazingira ili wananchi waweze kutambua na kuhamasika na utunzaji wa misitu na mazingira kwa ujumla.

Kwa muhtasari tunaweza kusema kwamba:

Elimu ya mazingira
Itaongeza utambuzi wetu wa mazingira
Itatufanya tujenge mtazamo wa stadi
ambazo zitatufanya
Tujihusishe na mazingira yetu na kuwajibika katika kuchukua hatua za kuyaboresha
ili
Tuweze kuwa na maisha bora kwetu sisi na vizazi vijayvyo.

Maisha ya wanavijiji katika maeneo haya kwa asilimia kubwa wanaishi kwa kutegemea kilimo, mazao wanayolima ni kwa ajili ya chakula na kiasi kidogo kwa ajili ya biashara. Hata hivyo wanavijiji wanaozunguka misitu hiyo wanaitegemea kwa kiwango kikubwa kama vile kuni kwa ajili ya kupikia, majengo na kujipatia mazao mengine ya misitu kama dawa, mboga za majani, matunda, asali na matumizi mengine madogomadogoamoja. Pamoja na matumizi ya kibishara kilimo cha kuhamahama kimekuwa ndio tishio kubwa kwa baadhi ya misitu hii. Kuna mambo mengi tunayoweza kufanya ili kuwezesha mashamba yetu kuwa na mbolea ya kutosha, hii itatuwezesha kulima sehemu moja kwa miaka mingi ikiwezekana moja kwa moja. Kwa mfano wakulima wanashauriwa kufuga wanyama kwani mifugo hutoa samadi ya kurutubisha udongo.

Forest-adjacent Communities

Sustainable use of forest resources can bring a lot of benefits to the forest adjacent communities if these communities realize the importance of managing and conserving their forests sustainably.

To achieve sustainable use of forest resources it is crucial for forest adjacent communities be educated on environmental issues so that they can know and be aware about forest conservation and environment in general.

To summarise we can say:

Environmental education
Will increase awareness of the environment
Will teach us useful skills
which will
Make us concerned about our environment and encourage us to take responsibility to improve matters
so that
We can have better life for present and future generations.

The life of the communities here to a large extent relies on subsistence farming and they produce little in the way of cash crops. However, they still depend on forests for firewood, building poles and other non-wood forest products. Apart from commercial exploitation, shifting cultivation has been a big threat to these forests. There are a lot of things we can do to make our farms fertile, this will allow us to cultivate in one area for long or permanently. For instance farmers are advised to keep livestock to get good manure for the soil.

Manufaa ya Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu

Mpango wa Usimamizi Shirikishi wa Misitu unaitegemea zaidi jamii kwa kufanikishwa kwake. Chini ya mpango huu wanajamii watapata manufaa yafuatayo:

Wataweza kupanga ni jinsi gani ardhi ya kijiji inapaswa kutunzwa.

Wataongeza kipato kitokanacho na ushuru wa magogo na makusanyo mengine ya mazao ya misitu

Uhakika wa matumizi endelevu ya mazao ya misitu

Kwa namna hii mpango huu utatoa mchango mkubwa katika Mkakati wa Kukuza Uchumi na Kupunguza Umasikini Tanzania (MKUKUTA).

Kwa maelezo zaidi wasiliana na Mradi wa Kuhifadhi Mpingo au Idara ya Maliasili Wilaya ya Kilwa, SLP 49, Kilwa Masoko.

Benefits of Participatory Forest Management

The achievement of the Participatory Forest Management programme depends to a great extent to the communities. Under this programme communities will benefits as follows:

They can decide on how their village land will be used.

They will increase their income through logging fees and other revenues from forest products.

A guaranteed sustainable supply of forest resources.

In this way the Participatory Forest Management programme will contribute to the overall national strategy for economic growth and poverty reduction (MKUKUTA).

For more information contact the Mpingo Conservation Project or the Natural Resources Department, Kilwa District Council, PO Box 49, Kilwa Masoko.

Kijarida hiki kimeandaliwa na Mradi wa Kuhifadhi Mpingo (MCP) kwa msaada wa Mpango wa Tuzo ya Kuhifadhi Mazingira wa Shirika la Mafuta la BP, na kurekebishwa kwa msaada toka Darwin Initiative (Uingereza).

This booklet has been produced by the Mpingo Conservation Project (MCP) with support from the BP Conservation Programme, and revised with funds from Darwin Initiative (UK).