Natural ecosystems are shrinking, deteriorating with no clear governance mechanisms and rampant land use conflicts. Traditionally, indigenous peoples have used ecological knowledge to govern land use for all seasons and for various uses. These cultural practices allowed the lands to recover between seasons and pasture to be available throughout the year. The land governance system is confined to small villages. In Tanzania there are at least 20 cases related with land use and governance conflicts. However, the pastoralists in Tanzania can hardly do this. Population growth, coupled with land defragmentation and climate change have reduced the extent of their pasturelands and resulted into deterioration in quality and regular land use conflicts. As a result, livestock and wildlife often die in the dry season or in droughts due to lack of grass and lack of water. This is devastating.
TEST is committed to facilitate for the design of an innovative ecosystem governance model that will transcend boundaries of village systems in Tanzania to recognize connected cultural and geographical ecosystems and landscapes. The Living Ecosystems Approach will re-design land use and governing models to improve the livelihoods of the local communities as well as enhance the conservation of biodiversity.
TEST, in collaboration with indigenous peoples and partners in Tanzania will produce governance models to create living ecosystems giving life to the people and nature.
As of 2021, over 29 million people in Tanzania live in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at 1.90 U.S. dollars a day. By 2025, 26.4 million Tanzanians are projected to live on a maximum of 1.90 U.S. dollars per day. 12 million indigenous peoples are at the end of the line living in acute poverty. Indigenous peoples desire income to meet their basic social and economic needs: food, shelter, health, education, water and energy.
Indigenous peoples and local communities in Tanzania are communities in transition. As such, they desire improved and reliable livelihoods options. However, in most places, they do not have access to reliable safe and clean water services, quality education, energy, health services or sustainable livelihoods options.
Based on national and global challenges, TEST must design new models that are effective in poverty reduction for indigenous peoples in line with Sustainable Development Goals targets.
TEST will design and host an annual Livelihoods Accelerator Fellowship (LAF) Programme bringing together academic and research institutions, think tanks and private organizations to work with the local communities to find the solution to an identified social problem in water supply, health services, waste management, income generation or village settlement designs.
We invite interested groups or individuals that wish to practice their internship, retreat and pilot their models to poverty reduction to apply to participate.
The wildlife in natural ecosystems share their habitats with indigenous peoples and their livelihoods mostly pastureland and farms. However, indigenous peoples and local communities have been side-lined in mainstream wildlife conservation initiatives completely jeopardizing the peaceful co-existence witnessed for many centuries. Wildlife within these ecosystems continue to experience challenges related to movement, habitat management and consequently are a source of numerous human-wildlife conflicts.
The wildlife in natural ecosystems share their habitats with indigenous peoples and their livelihoods mostly pastureland and farms. However, indigenous peoples and local communities have been side-lined in mainstream wildlife conservation initiatives completely jeopardizing the peaceful co-existence witnessed for many centuries. Wildlife within these ecosystems continue to experience challenges related to movement, habitat management and consequently are a source of numerous human-wildlife conflicts.
To re-activate the role and support of indigenous communities for wildlife protection within community lands. The indigenous traditional knowledge systems and their territories are vital in continuing the peaceful and sustainable co-existence to ensure wildlife conservation in community lands. The restoration of community roles in wildlife conservation will strengthen and enhance meaningful collaboration of indigenous communities and government agencies. Through this achievement, TEST will increase the quality and quantity of wildlife habitats.
TEST is committed to work with indigenous peoples and partners to provide wildlife conservation support, services and campaigns within their territories and ecosystems. Furthermore, TEST will assist in obtaining formal recognition of the indigenous community conserved areas for wildlife in the natural ecosystems in Tanzania.
P. O. Box 2268, Arusha, Tanzania
info@nyanda.org
