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Lawyers' Environmental Action Team (LEAT) leat@mediapost.co.tz |
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LEAT Biodiversity Programmes Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) [http://www.leat.or.tz/activities/biodiv/cbnrm/] Conservation and Development Opportunities from the Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in the Communal Lands of Southern Africa (CODEOSUB) [http://www.leat.or.tz/activities/biodiv/codeosub/] |
Kindoroko WorkshopLEAT under the CODEOSUB project organized a three days workshop that took place at Kindoroko Hotel in Moshi, Kilimanjaro. The main objective of the workshop was to discuss on the role local communities play to the conservation of biological resources and set up strategies on how equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of the same resources can be achieved. The workshop participants were able to share experiences on issues related to the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. The workshop provided a platform for participants to share experiences they have been encountering at the implementation of natural resources related policies and laws. The workshop participants shared experience on how much local communities have been benefited from resources as compared to their role in managing those resources in their localities. The workshop managed to digest such kind of challenges and came up with a way forward that will set up a base for long-term solutions. The workshop was organized with the following objectives:
It was observed that after the signing and the ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992 the Government of Tanzania have developed a number of policies and laws related to the conservation of biological resources and they have provided a room for the participation of communities in the management. The workshop attracted a number of participants from local communities, Natural Resources Officers at district levels, Civil Society Organization representatives, Academicians, Researchers and Journalists. The majority of participants came from local communities, representing four regions of Mwanza, Mara, Kilimanjaro and Arusha. The list of participants and their contacts is attached in this report. (See Kindoroko Participants). The workshop participants had an opportunity to share their experiences on the protection of biodiversity loss. While others had already managed to organize themselves into Village Environmental committees that were charged with the responsibility of overseeing the proper use of the biodiversity resources in their localities, others were yet to start the formation of such Committees. In communities where such kinds of groups of environmental committees have been formed, it was found that biodiversity loss has decreased tremendously. One factor that was found to discourage community's initiative towards biodiversity conservation is the legal system that still provides important resources such as forests, water, land and wildlife under the ultimate control of the government. The question of ownership was extensively discussed and it was found to be one of the leading factors that discouraged local communities from the conservation efforts. Community's representatives gave their experiences in a number of cases where they played a significant role in the conservation of biological resources but denied the right to use and benefit from the same resources they have conserved. An equally important challenge towards conservation of natural resources observed during the workshop was on how local communities could equally and fairly shares the benefits that arise from the genetic resources as required by Article 8 (j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It was observed that the knowledge that local communities have been using in conserving biological resources made it possible for such resources to be available to date and need therefore to be recognized. Even though that was the CBD provision which our country has accepted, the actual situation at the implementation stage was illustrated during the workshop as being different. Research related to genetic resources has been conducted by TPRI (Tanzania Plant Gene Bank) and communities were invited to go to the institute for consultation. The TPRI representatives invited any one who might come across any plant species that is endangered to take it to the plant gene bank at TPRI for preservation so that the coming generations will be able to find the same species. Experience from Department of Zoology at the University of Dar es Salaam exited participants on the contribution higher learning institutions play in the conservation of biodiversity resources. The department has been conducting a number of researches and would like to share its work with local communities and other CBOs and NGOs. The department representative invited participants to the department for consultation and information sharing. The sharing of such experience was in particular interesting as village leaders could now share their knowledge with academicians. A journalist from JET opened the door for the workshop participants to go to their office and exchange information related to the environmental protection. They requested anyone with information on biodiversity conservation to go and share with them and JET will disseminate it to the public. Most people have no access to biodiversity information and its dissemination will be of high importance. All institutions and Organizations promised to work together in the course of biodiversity conservation by sharing resources and information. It was finally agreed that all participants join a loose network of Environmental Coalition of Civil Societies (ECO) and focus on Biodiversity component. LEAT was proposed to be the secretariat. The workshop was conducted in Kiswahili and the proceedings were in Kiswahili. This report is a translation of the same report in English. Journalists' Environmental Association (JET)By Mwambungu and Kwiyamba The Journalists' Environmental Association was established in 1991 for acting as an environmental watchdog dedicated to raise public awareness on the environmental and sustainable management of natural resources. With some collaboration with organizations like LEAT, it has provided for the opportunity for people to air their views. JET has also collects information on environment and sustainable development and disseminates it through JET publications and other media. The organization invites all people who have problems such as the so-called modern dumping sites to collaborate with it in the fight against the dumping sites. JET has also made an intensive research on a proposed establishment of chemical industry in Moshi and found that the area was not conducive for the project to take off. So, with collaboration with the Department of Chemistry, University of Dar-es-Salaam, JET strongly rejected the idea of building the industry in Moshi. However, the government decided to continue building the industry inspite of all efforts done by JET. On the other hand, the Mayor of Moshi Municipal Council was quoted saying in one of the council meeting that people have affected by the presence of the industry as they were coughing and therefore the need to remove the plant. It was noted that the government for its side sees the JET as its big enemy and has lies to the public. JET has made a lot of campaigns about the use of DDT, which has killed so many living things like fish and other crawling and flying animals. The side effects of the use of DDT include for example birds laying pre-mature eggs, cancer and other diseases. Successes
Kindoroko Workshop Participants
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