Land degradation in Tanzania : village views

57072 Findings reports on ongoing operational, economic and sector work carried out by the World Bank and its member governments in the Africa Region. It is published periodically by the Knowledge Networks, Information and Technology Center on behalf of the Region. LAND DEGRADATION IN TANZANIA: VILLAGE VIEWS Declining soil fertility due to inadequate farming practices, deforestation and overgrazing are among the primary impediments to increased agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. These causal factors, driven by social, economic and political forces, manifest themselves in market, policy and institutional failures, inappropriate technologies and practices. This is also the case in Tanzania where over 90 percent of the population is rural and depends on land resources for its livelihood.  Source: Oldeman, Hakkeling, and Sombroek, 1991. Official and local land users often have quite different perceptions and responses to land degradation problems (Table 1). This situation impedes the successful implementation of policies and projects to address land degradation. Land degradation is also influenced by local ecological and socio-economic forces, and understanding the dynamics of these interactions at the local level would contribute to remedy the problem. Hence, this study, Land Degradation in Tanzania: Perception from the Village examines the most significant issues affecting levels of productivity and land quality at the community and village level, where local land users take decisions on cropping and livestock management. The specific objectives of the study were to examine farmers' perceptions, particularly their understanding and interpretation of factors and indicators which they link to soil erosion and fertility decline, the level of degradation of crop and pastureland, and the institutional capacity to implement soil conservation and fertility measures -- with particular regard to land tenure policies, local organizations and extension service. The investigators also sought to identify the technologies, best practices and indigenous knowledge used by households to control erosion, enhance soil fertility, and increase crop and livestock productivity among smallholders. Table 1: Perception and response gap to major land degradation problems Problem Government Results Villagers' Responses Solutions Overgrazing