Scores of
livestock keepers and farmers who have invaded a forest reserve on Longido Mountain
in Longido district, Arusha region have been ordered out.
The
striking massif, located about 20 kilometers from the Namanga border town and
80 km north of Arusha, is a protected area and source of water for the district
headquarters and adjacent villages. The officer in charge of Lands and Natural
Resources department Eliya Samson Maiko told reporters last week that people
who would not obey the order will be evicted by force.
"There
are a significant number of people who have settled on the mountain to
cultivate and graze cattle. That is unacceptable because this is a protected
forest and a source of water", he said. He added that overgrazing of
animals was already a major concern there and was courting a disaster in the
drought prone district where large herds of livestock perished in 2009/2011
after a prolonged drought.
Although
he could not give figures, the official said there was a significant number of
a new settler high on the mountain with the forest zone now having patches due
to vegetation clearing. The 2,637 meter high mountain also hosts wild animals,
including members of the Big Five; leopards, elephants and buffaloes and is one
of the three gazetted forest reserves in Longido district; the two others being
on Kitumbeine and Gelai mountains in the Lake Natron basin.
The
district forest officer Jacob Oforo Lyimo said tree felling for charcoal
production was equally worrying and that it has been accelerated by the big
demand of the fuel wood in Arusha city and Namanga town.
He added
that the district authorities are working in collaboration with the
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to enhance conservation of natural
resources in the district through the wildlife management areas (WMAs).
In recent
years, Longido has also attracted tourists, mainly tourist hunters bringing in
the badly-needed cash to the local communities where the six hunting blocs are
located and the district council. The area also falls under the cultural
tourism programmer aimed to support the local Maasai people and support their
lifestyle and culture. The programmer is managed by the Tanzania Tourist Board
(TTB) and covers a dozen other districts in the northern zone regions.
The
district has two WMAs where villagers enjoy funds generated from hunting and
tourism. Longido has 39 villages and 95 per cent of its inhabitants depend on livestock
for their livelihood. According to the official, 40 per cent of funds received
from the ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism is channeled to conservation
and 60 per cent for general expenditure.
The acting
district executive director Ramadhani Musiba said the district has prepared a
land use plan for all the villages and that it will include demarcation of
village boundaries. The villagers are also sensitized to embrace participatory
forest management (PFM) practices through the support of the African Wildlife
Fund (AWF).
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