|
Environment
Community participation in
biodiversity conservation
By C.Nguya
WCST Arusha
Environmental conservation issues in Arusha region have always been put
at the periphery in relation to immediate needs of the community.
These needs are in terms of access to water, pastures and food. The term
biodiversity may have meant nothing to many of the local people before
the establishment of wildlife conservation society of Tanzania entered
the region. To reach the community and enable them participate in
biodiversity conservation, Community Environment Committees were formed.
The Community Environment Committees are community-based organizations
that moderate the use of natural resources with interest in biodiversity
conservation. The roles of these Community Environment Committees
include, creating awareness on biodiversity conservation, disseminating
information to the community on the objectives and activities of the
Society and mobilizing communities to participate in conservation
activities.
These committees represent different interest groups in use of resources
around the sites and include- charcoal burners, farmers, water user
associations, youth, women, NGOs and biodiversity dependent businesses.
Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania, Arusha branch together with
other conservation and site planning teams have managed to build
capacity in the community Environment Committees in terms of training in
tree nursery management in schools and villages, training in formulation
of by-laws for the environmental groups and formation of vigilante
groups as a source of information on destructive practices within and
around the Mountain Meru.
The Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania works to encourage
participation of stakeholders in the management of forest reserves and
involve the communities living nearby these forest reserves in preparing
management plans and make by laws as well as gaining legal access to
forest benefits such as water for irrigation.
The Wildlife Conservation society of Tanzania, Arusha Branch , intends
to have as many various participatory skills and also provide them with
identification. From progress made so far, it is foreseeable that
communities will participate fully in the implementation of activities
organized by Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania, Arusha Branch.
Do something good for the environment and join the Wildlife Conservation
Society of Tanzania (ARUSHA) Branch.
|
