Browsing by Author "Witkowski, E. T. F."

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Economics and sustainability of commercial production of wood fuel in Miombo woodlands of eastern Tanzania
(University of the Witwatersrand, 1999) Luoga, E. J.; Witkowski, E. T. F.; Balkwill, K.
Miombo woodlands, which comprise the largest proporti on of the savanna regions of southern Africa, are central to the livelihood of both rural and urban households . Wood fuel is the main source of energy for the majority of the population, with firewood used in rural areas and charcoal in urban centres. Indigenous commercial production of charcoal, using earth mound k ilns, utilises about 42 tree species, a higher number than for any other uses. Over 56% of the trees harvested within communal lands (ranging between 2.4 and 68.6 cm dbh) were felled for charcoal. The apparent profit in charcoal production is attributable to very low capital outlays, "free" own labour, "free raw materials" , lack of concern about associated external costs, high demand for charcoal and lack of alternative income-generating activities. Cutting of tr ees for charcoal implies an opportunity cost as the trees may have been used fo r other purposes such as timber, construction, medicine, firewood and food. Miombo woodlands also perform vital ecosystem serv ices such as carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling and watershed protection. The estimated local wood consumption for charcoal of 6.01 m 3 capita -1 year -1 is very high compared to subsistenc e firewood consumption of only 1.3 m 3 capita -1 year -1 . The area cleared for charcoal production locally was about 1 671 ha year -1 which is about 10% of the accessible area within local communal lands. This shows that al though commercialisation of wood resources provides tangible monetary benefits to rural communities, it also contributes to environmental degradation that will ultimately threaten their long-term survival.
Land cover and use changes in relation to the institutional framework and tenure of land and resources in eastern Tanzania Miombo woodlands
(Environment, Development and Sustainability - Springer, 2005) Luoga, E. J.; Witkowski, E. T. F.; Balkwill, K.
In Tanzania, well-defined land tenure and resource protection apply in forest reserves which account for 30% of forested land, while the remaining 70% (mostly miombo woodlands) are village and general lands with very limited protection. The aim of this study was to determine local people’s ownership rights, knowledge and institutional capacity for sustainable management of resources in forest reserves and general lands. Data were collected using participatory rural appraisal, structured and semi-structured interviews, as well as aerial photographs and landsat images. In general lands, woodlands declined by 50% between 1964 and 1996, bushlands and croplands increased by 599%, and settlements and homegardens increased by 277%. These land use and vegetation structure changes are attributed to harvesting for charcoal production and shifting cultivation. The continued decline in aerial woodland cover in the general lands suggests that common property regimes do not function in the area. Local institutional capacities are weak in enforcing control mechanisms to check the overuse of resources, which tends to approximate open access conditions. The issues of land tenure and village empowerment are not only institutional, but also political in nature. Government institutions should provide and motivate for an enabling environment, including acknowledgement of traditional knowledge, well-defined property rights and operational village by-laws. In order to ensure equity and sustainable development of natural resources, the paradigm shift in management is important whereby communal goods are to be managed for the benefit of the local society.