Abstract:
Nearly eighty percent of the land in Tanzania is classified as semi-arid and the main
source of livelihood in these areas is pastoralism and agro-pastoralism. Pastoralism in
Tanzania is, however, under threat from the effects of human settlement and state
encroachment in favour of wildlife conservation all which are increasingly forcing
pastoralists off their traditional lands. The growth of the livestock population has also
led to increased movement of large herds of livestock to areas which traditionally had
few livestock, such as Mbeya, Iringa, Morogoro, Rukwa and Coast Regions, creating
serious land use conflicts and violence between pastoralists and crop farmers. Other
pressures include poor infrastructure, hostile market mechanisms and unfavourable
government development policies. Most public policies do not actively support
adaptation mechanisms that allow sustainable development of rangelands and are
generally hostile to pastoralism. As a result, pastoralists are faced by poverty due to
the negative effects of climate change like droughts and unusual rainfall patterns all
which increase conflicts over dwindling natural land resources. The following key
policy, socio-economic problems and their impact on pastoralism are analysed in this
paper.
• Performance of public policies for adaptation and sustainable development of
natural resources in Tanzania;
• Shrinking grazing lands due to human population and wildlife needs pressures
• Breakdown of traditional institutions governing the pastoralists way of life
It is concluded that with the right policies, economic plans that support it, pastoralism
could be a viable and sustainable livelihood that could support many. At the same
time it is also recognised that viable and sustainable alternative livelihood activities
should be encouraged. Finally, it is recommended that public policies that strike a
balance between restricted mobility and rangeland resources conservation, maintain
pastoralist traditional institutions and adaptation to severe impacts of climate change
are necessary.
