Participatory land use planning in Tanzanian drylands is an essential process in ensuring effective, sustainable and fair use of communal lands.  And experts are agreeing that collecting best practices, enhancing information exchange and learning from the ground are focal strategies that will improve and strengthen natural resource use in Tanzanian drylands. 

Over the last two days at a workshop in Arusha, officials from the Ministries of Land, fisheries and Livestock Development and the National Land Use Planning Commission joined with civil society organizations, land use planning experts and community representatives to discuss land use planning.  The workshop focused on strategies that will strengthen lesson learning and policy dialogue to support the development of appropriate policy recommendations and guidelines for improved land use planning and rangeland management both at local and national levels.

Discrimination and violence against girls and violations of their human rights remains an ongoing challenge in the world today. In an effort to raise awareness about such challenges, in December 2011 the United Nations declared that October 11th would serve as the annual ‘International Day of the Girl Child.’  TNRF would like to observe this day by celebrating the work of some of our partners who help bring attention to these challenges and provide opportunities to strengthen women’s rights, especially in the natural resource sector.  One example of this kind of work is that of the Pastoral Womens’ Council, which provides educational opportunities for girls, promotes women’s involvement on community natural resource committees as well as promotes women’s rights to own and manage land.

Learn more about the International Day of the Girl Child here.

Every two years the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) joins together its members and African Ministers for a weeklong meeting to discuss environmental issues in Africa and globally. These meetings have been very instrumental in defining positions of African countries towards climate change and other environmental issues. This year the AMCEN meeting took place from 10th - 14th of September in Arusha.