Browsing by Author "Kideghesho, Jafari R"

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The attitudes of tourists towards the environmental, social and managerial attributes of Serengeti national park, Tanzania
(2011-06) Kaltenborn, Bjørn P; Nyahongo, Julius W; Kideghesho, Jafari R
Serengeti National Park is a world class icon for wildlife tourism attracting a diverse group of tourists from all over the world. The park has played a pivotal role in protecting large populations of wildlife species of the Eastern African savannah and the globally outstanding biological phenomena such as the annual migration of wildebeest. However, the history of the park is also characterised by resource use conflicts and pressures that could threaten the current quality of the visitor environment. In this paper we examine the attitudes of international visitors toward the management and attributes of the park. Overall, the tourists report a high degree of satisfaction with most aspects of their trip. Yet, the current tourists are concerned about possible future changes that could alter the visitor environment and idealized images of the African wild lands. Basic environmental attitudes (degrees of ecocentrism) have effects on attitudes toward management of the park. Tourists expressing a high degree of ecocentrism are more likely to support management actions aimed at controlling tourism activities, access and impacts. They also express a stronger interest in experiencing nature, wilderness and local culture. The results are discussed in light of the major impact factors and conservation issues facing the management of Serengeti National Park; poaching, poverty in surrounding communities, increasing population pressure, habitat degradation, and wildlife diseases.
Drivers of conservation crimes in the Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi game reserves, central Tanzania
(Elsevier, 2019) Hariohay, Kwaslema Malle; Ranke, Peter S; Fyumagwa, Robert D.; Kideghesho, Jafari R; Røskaft, Eivin
Conservation crimes are posing serious threats to wildlife species and biodiversity of the Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi-Game-Reserves. Devising effective strategies to reduce risks to as low as reasonably possible of these crimes, calls for adequate information on factors driving people to commit these crimes. Data for this study were obtained from 315 respondents in 20 villages and 316 people who were arrested for committing different conservation crimes in the Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi-Game-Reserves. Our results suggest that arrested respondents were typically young adult males with limited alternative sources of income and owning virtually no livestock or land. There were heterogeneous drivers for each type of conservation crime. To address the challenge of conservation crimes in the Reserve, we recommend, among other strategies, the establishment of effective conservation education programmes, strengthening law enforcements as a deterrence method, and development of entrepreneurship skills to enhance employment. © 2019 Norwegian University of Science & Technology. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
Factors and ecological impacts of wildlife habitat destruction in the Serengeti ecosystem in Northern Tanzania
(2006-04) Kideghesho, Jafari R; Nyahongo, Julius W; Hassan, Shombe N; Tarimo, Thadeo C; Mbije, Nsajigwa E
Despite the considerable worldwide efforts to establish the wildlife protected areas - a strategy construed as the most feasible in maintaining the high quality habitats for healthy wildlife populations - destruction of wildlife habitats has remained the leading threat to biodiversity. This destruction, taking different forms (i.e. degradation, fragmentation or outright loss) is a function of the growing human activities - prompted mainly by such factors as poverty, demographic factors, land tenure systems, inadequate conservation status, development policies and economic incentives. This paper reviews these contributing factors and presents the associated ecological impacts – manifested by a decline of wildlife populations and local extinction of species. Provision of adequate conservation status to critical wildlife habitats, addressing the problem of human population growth, adoption of poverty reduction strategies that are conservation- friendly and discouraging the destructive development policies are recommended as the measures to mitigate the problem. Other measures entail genuine involvement of the local communities in conservation, provision of adequate economic incentives, relevant research and participatory land use planning. In conclusion, the paper argues that, given the nature of the problem, if a lasting solution is to be realized, habitat loss should be viewed as a multisectoral rather than a single sectoral issue. Therefore different stakeholders should play an active role in halting and pre-empting the problem. We propose criteria for selection of the relevant stakeholders
Gender and socio-economic factors influencing domestication of indigenous medicinal plants in the west Usambara mountains, northern Tanzania
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2010) Kideghesho, Jafari R; Msuya, Tuli S
The limited capacity of governments in developing countries to service primary health care has resulted in a rapid increase in use of indigenous medicinal plants. This increase, together with other biological and non-biological factors, has rendered these plants vulnerable to over-use and extirpation. Domestication is a conservation intervention that can relieve pressure on medicinal species. In order to ensure effectiveness and sustainability of an intervention, understanding the influencing factors is imperative. We examined the influence of gender and some socio-economic factors on domestication of medicinal plants in the West Usambara Mountains of northern Tanzania. Participatory wealth ranking, structured and semi-structured interviews, botanical surveys and participant observations were employed in data collection. Results showed that domestication has played a fundamental role in conservation of medicinal plants in the study area. Forty (89%) and twelve (27%) of forty-five indigenous plant species were domesticated on farms and around homesteads, respectively. A total of 89% of respondents (n ¼ 173) had domesticated medicinal plants on their farms and around homesteads. Gender was the most important factor that influenced this practice, with more male-headed than female-headed households involved in the domestication effort. This can be attributed to social and cultural factors that, besides dispossessing women of tenure rights over resources and land, also subject them to heavy workloads and therefore diminish the time available for plant domestication. The number of domesticated medicinal plants also depended on age, affluence, farm size, household size and ethnicity. We recommend that agroforestry research should focus not only on integrating forest plants in farmlands, but also on cultural, socio-economic and institutional aspects affecting the whole system of domestication.
The potentials for co-management approaches in western Serengeti, Tanzania
(2008-12) Kideghesho, Jafari R; Mtoni, Paul E
Co-management arrangements are increasingly gaining popularity as an intervention to overcome the shortcomings of centralized management that impede harmonization of conflicting interests among the diverse stakeholder groups. The success of these arrangements depends, among other things, upon capitalizing on potentials existing in the area where they are intended to be implemented. This study was conducted in the western part of Serengeti National Park to analyze some potential for adopting the co-management approaches. We employed local communities’ opinions, experience, knowledge, and attitudes to analyze these factors. The paper is framed around the premises that, among other things, co-management arrangements have the potential to work if: (i) the local communities have an outstanding level of awareness on the rationale of, and legal aspects pertaining to, wildlife conservation; (ii) the traditional institutions for management of natural resources exist and local communities have the ability to evaluate their performance, establish causes for inadequate performance and propose some workable solutions; (iii) local communities have the ability to evaluate different options for resource ownership and give valid reasons for opposing or supporting them. In conclusion we underscore the need for co-management approaches as an alternative intervention and a complement for current resource management approaches. We recommend promotion of local awareness on legal aspects of resource management, strengthening of traditional institutions for resource management and honoring people’s choices of the types of resource ownership or rectifying the situations making them unpopular.
The potentials of traditional African cultural practices in mitigating overexploitation of wildlife species and habitat loss: experience of Tanzania
(Taylor Francis, 2009-01) Kideghesho, Jafari R
Both colonial and post-colonial conservation policies ignored the potential role of traditional African cultural practices in contributing to conservation goals. Recently, there has been a growing global interest in these practices, although recognition in official conservation policies is still minimal in many countries. This global interest is enthused by the reality that although the use of wild species and their habitats remains the foundation for human survival all over the world, there is a huge risk of losing these species. Factors such as rapid human population increase, inadequate local support for conservation policies, limited strategies for survival among local communities and inadequate capacity of the government to fund law enforcement operations against illegal activities subject the species and habitats to unsustainable use. Traditional cultural practices, among other strategies, have promising potential to enhance sustainable resource use and conservation and, therefore, realize the desire for ecological and social sustainability. Using examples and data drawn from different parts of Tanzania, this paper attempts to uncover some of these potentials on which policy-makers and conservationists can capitalize to augment conservation work. The paper begins by reviewing the ecological impacts of two major conservation problems facing Tanzania – species overexploitation and habitat loss. Then the possible advantages of traditional cultural practices (compared to conventional conservation strategies) are outlined. The traditional practices are presented as more cost-effective, more socially acceptable and having minimal risk of failure. Furthermore, the idea of reviving these practices coincides with the philosophy of co-management approaches, which advocate sharing of power, rights and responsibilities between the state and local resource users. This is based on the idea that local communities constitute voices ‘from the ground’ that should be heard. In showing the efficacy of traditional African cultural practices, the paper specifically focuses on four elements: traditional institutions, taboos, sacred sites and totemic species.
The role of traditional management practices in enhancing sustainable use and conservation of medicinal plants in west Usambara mountains, Tanzania
(2009-03) Msuya, Tuli S; Kideghesho, Jafari R
The study on importance of traditional practices in conservation of medicinal plants in West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania was conducted by using focus group discussions, interviews, participant observation, and botanical survey. Nine traditional practices for conservation of wild plants were identified as domestication; beliefs in sacredness of trees; beliefs in sacred forests; respect of cultural forests; protection of plants at the burial sites; selective harvesting; secrecy; collection of deadwood for firewood, and use of energy-saving traditional stoves. Through botanical surveys of sacred forests, cultural forests, farms/homesteads, and burial sites, some 1,518 wild plants belonging to 100 species were identified. A large proportion (85%) of these plants had medicinal value. Of the 173 respondents, 82%, 81%, 74%, and 71% believed that sustainable use and conservation of medicinal plants can be achieved through secrecy, plant protection at burial sites, sacredness of plants and domestication, respectively. About 89% of the respondents pursued domestication (at least five plants each) and 70% had retained sacred trees (at least one tree each), of which the majority had medicinal value. Few respondents were aware of the positive role played by sacred forests and cultural forests (38% and 21%, respectively) in conservation of medicinal plants. It is concluded that the traditional management practices have a significant role in the conservation of biodiversity. This conservation role has a direct connection with human health since most of the plant species have medicinal value, which a majority of the rural people rely on. The paper recommends that traditional management practices should be encouraged since they serve a dual purpose as important conservation strategy and as an essential component of primary health care.
‘Serengeti shall not die’: Can the ambition be sustained?
(Taylor & Francis, 2005) Kideghesho, Jafari R; Røskaft, Eivin; Kaltenborn, Bjørn P; Tarimo, Thadeo M. C
Serengeti, a World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve, is increasingly being threatened by human factors, which undermine its natural resource base and, therefore, contradict the ambition contained in Grzimeks’ popular book ‘Serengeti Shall Not Die’. We discuss five forces against the ambition: rapid human population growth, poverty, illegal hunting, habitat destruction, and wildlife diseases. We also review some of the current strategies adopted in view of pre-empting the negative outcomes resulting from these forces by pointing out their deficiencies. We conclude that, although human population growth and poverty are underlying factors threatening the Ecosystem, the current mitigative strategies barely address them adequately. We, therefore, recommend that, for Grzimeks’ ambition to remain valid, the two factors should take priority. We also call for more research to establish the reasons making people exhibit unsustainable behaviours toward the resources. We further suggest learning from past mistakes in view of correcting the identified deficiencies. Support in the form of alternative sustainable livelihood strategies and discouraging all ecologically destructive policies are equally important. Drawing from experience of the Kenyan part of the Ecosystem we suggest banning of land privatization, commercial agriculture and other development policies conflicting with conservation interests around Serengeti National Park