Livelihood struggle and environmental degradation in Tanzania: a case of Morogoro rural district
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Date
2007
Authors
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
The study was conducted in Morogoro Rural District Tanzania. It aimed at assessing the
impact of livelihood struggle on the environment to obtain information for researchers.
planners and decision makers to work upon. Six villages were purposively chosen to
represent villages affected environmentally through livelihood struggle activities. A cross
sectional design using household, stakeholders' questionnaires, participatory rural
appraisal and focus group discussions were used to collect information intended to answer
the main objective of the study. Cross tabulations and chi-square test were used to
compare the relationship between study variables. Results showed that socio-economic
activities undertaken in the area are small scale crop farming (practiced by 84.5% of the
respondents), wage labour employments (4.8%), livestock keeping (4.2%), mining (2.8%),
both farming and poultry keeping (1.7%) and petty trading in mining sites (1.2%).
Farming near river banks (70% of respondents), cultivation on slopes (20%). continuous
cultivation (5%). both poor mining and livestock keeping (4%) and shifting cultivation
(1%) were found to be common activities that lead to environmental degradation. Out of
all respondents. 17% grow trees and filled mined pits in degraded areas, while 83% took
no precautions. Relationship between socio-economic activities and environmental
degradation was mainly manifested through drying of water sources and water pollution.
Results also showed that despite the ongoing livelihood activities that cause environmental
degradation, majority of the respondents (87%) were aware of environmental degradation
compared to 13 % of the respondents that were not. It was concluded that communities
undertake such environmentally unfriendly activities because they have limited alternative
means of livelihood because they have to rely on the available natural resources. It was
recommended that a multi-sectoral land use planning strategy should be implemented for
sustainable development through natural resources management and equal opportunity to
all sectors competing for land and other resources.
Description
Masters thesis
Keywords
Environmental degradation, Tanzania, Morogoro rural district