MEV-CAM’s Forestry Technical Network webinar: A deep dive into Process Documentation and Participatory Video
28 February 2023
Tanzania
Project Name
Reversing Land Degradation trends and increasing Food Security in degraded ecosystems of semi-arid areas of central Tanzania (LDFS)
GEF Implementing Agency
IFAD
Objective
To reverse land degradation trends in central Tanzania and Pemba (Zanzibar) through sustainable land and water management and ecosystem-based adaptation.
Project Targets
3,500 ha
land under integrated and sustainable management
1,222,854 MtCO2e
GHG emissions avoided or reduced
3,000
beneficiary households
Tanzania is home to nearly 600 terrestrial species that are classified as vulnerable, of which 291 are endangered and 91 critically endangered. However, land degradation, agricultural expansion, fires and unsustainable land use practices have resulted in significant degradation of flora and fauna, as well as the destruction and degradation of land for agriculture and livestock. Consequently, productive land is becoming increasingly scarce.
Climate change is leading to prolonged dry spells, increasing temperatures, and decreasing total annual rainfall. Farmers are also reporting a delayed onset and increased intensity of the wet season. The unpredictability of rainfall has caused an increase in crop failure due to poor seed germination and seeds and crops being washed away. Similarly, livestock pastures are decreasing in size and the risk of parasites and diseases is increasing.
The RFS Tanzania project supports farmers in 22 villages located in the Kondoa, Mkalama, Nzega and Magu areas in mainland Tanzania and the Micheweni area in Zanzibar (Pemba Island). These project sites are located in two of the country’s main biomes, the humid Miombo ecosystem and the Rift Valley Highland ecosystem, each with unique natural resources and biodiversity.
The project is structured around three principal components:
- Building capacity of customary, village and district institutions in Natural Resource Management and joint village land-use planning;
- Supporting the sustainability of ecosystem services and food and nutrition security in five focus areas; and
- Monitoring and assessing progress related to sustaining ecosystem services.
The project aims to meet the following targets:
Capacity of customary, village and district institutions developed in Natural Resource Management and joint village land-use planning.
- Establish at least 1 inter-village Natural Resources Management Committee per district.
- Train at least 10 staff per district, 5 staff per village, and 3,000 community members, with more than 30% of women and more than 30% of youth, in participatory joint land-use mapping, planning and regulation in support of sustainable land management, forest conservation and sustainable agropastoralism.
Sustainability of ecosystem services and food and nutrition security supported in five focus areas.
- Enable 3,000 households to report improved soil health and increased productivity and income generation from agropastoral ecosystems.
- Create 100 Farmer Field Schools with 25 participants each.
- Establish 20 tree nurseries.
- Place 25,000 ha under conservation and climate-smart farming and sustainable management.
- Reforest or afforest 4,200 ha of woodland, rangeland and degraded land.
Monitor and assess progress related to sustaining ecosystem services.
- Strengthen district and national Monitoring and Assessment capacities to document progress in ecosystem services and household resilience.
The project is coordinated by the Vice President's Office (VPO) Division of Environment. Major stakeholders of the project include the District Executive Directors of respective project districts; Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MALF); Ministry of Water and Irrigation; Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism; Prime Minister's Office Regional Administration and Local Government; Ministry of Finance and Planning; and the National Land Use Planning Commission.
Project Activities
Each RFS country project conducts activities that fall under common thematic areas within the programme. Explore each project theme relevant to the RFS Tanzania country project below to see which activities are being implemented under each theme.
Sustainable Land Management
- Improve dryland agro-pastoral management
- Provide technical assistance and input support for rangeland management
- Improve soil health and productivity
- Improve income generation from agro-pastoral ecosystems
Integrated Water Resource Management
Agroforestry & Reforestation
- Improve woodlands landscape management
- Provide technical assistance and input support for tree nurseries
Value Chains & Market Access
- Establish small producer groups and cooperatives for improved income generation and market linkages
Rural Extension & Capacity Development
- Establish Farmer Field Schools (FFS)
- Train FFS master trainers and facilitators
- Conduct FFS field days, farmer exchange and exposure visits
- Develop capacity in biodiversity conservation
- Develop capacity in conservation farming
- Develop capacity in Natural Resource Management (NRM)
Science, Policy & Institutions
- Establish Village Natural Resources Management Committees
- Develop capacity in participatory joint land use mapping, planning and regulation
- Conduct participatory land use planning
- Develop Village Land Use Plans (VLUPs)
Monitoring & Evaluation
- Utilise the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF)
- Utilise the Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool (MPAT)
- Utilise the Ex-Ante Carbon Balance Tool (EX-ACT)
- Use a resilience scorecard for monitoring household resilience to climate change
Gender
- Utilise the Gender Action Learning System (GALS)
- Conduct training for women in group formation, leadership, confidence building, and negotiation
- Strengthen women’s business and entrepreneurship skills
- Raise awareness of the ownership and inheritance rights of women
Knowledge & Learning
Stories from the Field
Explore our stories from the field to learn more about the activities, milestones, lessons learned, and achievements of the RFS Tanzania project.
Relevant Resources
We have a growing library of reports, briefs, case studies, media, tools and guidelines. Explore all resources related to the RFS Tanzania project to get greater insight into our programme activities.
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Participatory Village/shehia Land Use Planning and Certficate of the Customary Right of Occupancy
15 December 2022More infoThe Reversing Land Degradation Trends and Increasing Food Security in Degraded Ecosystems of Semi-arid Areas of Tanzania (LDFS) Project has conducted and completed participatory village land use planning in four districts in Tanzania.
This document highlights the approach, successes and lessons learned during this participatory activity.
Strengthening the enabling environment for sustainable and climatesmart land management in Africa: Country initiatives of the Resilient Food Systems programme
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- eSwatini
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Regional Hub
- Sustainable Land Management
- Case Study
- Report
10 November 2022More infoBarriers to implementation of sustainable land management (SLM) practices limit their ability to contribute to addressing land degradation. This report presents country case studies from the Resilient Food Systems programme highlighting SLM project activities undertaken in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and the lessons learned during their implementation. The innovative approaches to bridging governance and institutional gaps have demonstrated positive impacts on both the environment and livelihoods of rural communities.
Advisory services supporting community innovations: integrated landscape management through FFS and APFS
- Uganda
- Burundi
- Tanzania
- Rural Extension & Capacity Development
- Sustainable Land Management
- Knowledge & Learning
- Presentations
11 October 2022More infoFarmer Field Schools (FFS) are helping communities work together to achieve common goals. In this presentation, RFS Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda present their experiences with FFS as well as their lessons learned.
This presentation was part of Learning Lab 5: Advisory services supporting community innovations: integrated landscape management through Farmer Field Schools and Agro-Pastoral Field Schools of the 2022 Resilient Food Systems Annual Workshop in Blantyre, Malawi.
Country Projects
Burkina Faso
Burundi
eSwatini
Ethiopia
Ghana
Kenya
Malawi
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Tanzania
Uganda
Regional Hub
Project Themes
Agroforestry & Reforestation
Gender
Integrated Water Resource Management
Knowledge & Learning
Monitoring & Evaluation
Rural Extension & Capacity Development
Science, Policy & Institutions
Sustainable Land Management
Value Chains & Market Access
© 2020 Resilient Food Systems.