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Initiatives

TNRF is spearheading or is partners in a number of initiatives that address our three main areas of focus: CBNRM, Climate Change and Land based Investment. The following provides overviews and details about these various initiatives.

Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas and Territories in Tanzania (ICCA)

Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas and Territories project (ICCA) is funded by UNDP through IUCN.  In Tanzania, the project is implemented by Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF).

The overall objective of this project is to strengthen and support ICCAs communities to effectively engage in the management and conservation of the identified ICCAs, through establishment of a national ICCA database, documentation and publication of ICCAs situation in Tanzania that will inform and increase its recognition national-wide.

Implementation status and Approaches:

To realize the goals of this project TNRF managed to implement the following activities;

  • Conduct assessment study of key Indigenous Community Conserved Areas, including

Pastoralist, agriculturalists and hunters’- gatherers who have acquired and preserved territories in Tanzania. The purpose of the assessment was to identify new and existing ICCA and come up with a database of existing and potential ICCAs in the country with the identified needs and challenges for selected ICCA.

  • Validation workshop

Ardhi Yetu Project Plus (AYP Plus)

Ardhi Yetu Project Plus (AYP plus) is a four years project commenced from 2018 to 2021, implemented by Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF) in selected four districts in Manyara, Dodoma and Iringa regions. The project is funded by Care International in Denmark through Care International in Tanzania, with the theory of change; IF farmers and pastoralists - particularly women - are empowered to hold local authorities to account, have security to invest in land (access to land), are able to protect their investments against climate change via adaptation, receive support from strong civil society networks and organizations, and legal frameworks and institutions are responsive to land resource governance (enabling environment), THEN they will be able to sustain land ownership against external pressures, be resilient to shocks and stresses, and positively contribute to Tanzania’s economic growth.

Overall Objective: Active communities and civil society advocate for an inclusive and transparent land sector, strengthening the land tenure security and resilience of small-scale farming and pastoral communities- particularly women.

The National Engagement Strategy (NES)

The National Engagement Strategy (NES) is a national strategy employed by Members of the International Land Coalition (ILC) that aims at promoting People Centred Land Governance (PCLG), bringing about transformation in land governance at country level. The NES approach is to work towards two main outcomes: a) The setting-up of a multi-stakeholder platform on land governance for policy dialogue and knowledge sharing; and b) A country strategy for engagement on land governance developed and agreed upon by all actors involved.

In Tanzania, the NES was launched in 2016 with  three key components which are: (a) Coordination, Communication, Advocacy and Policy Dialogue facilitated by the Tanzania Land Alliance (TALA) (b) the Land-based Investments Component is coordinated by Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF); and (c) a Rangelands component under Parakuyo Indigenous Community Development Organisation (PAICODEO) and HELP Foundation (contact organisation being PAICODEO) coordination with technical support from  the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). However, PINGOS Forum took over Rangelands working group coordination from 2018.

Equitable and Sustainable Natural Resources Management Project (ESNRMP)

Equitable and Sustainable Natural Resource Management is a nine-month project (commencing on July, 2019-March, 2020),funded by Foundation for Civil Society (FCS) and implemented by Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF) under Land Based Investment department at Longido district in four wards, namely; Tingatinga, Olmolog, Elerai and Ildonyo.

The  increase in conflicts over natural resource use, access, ownership and control in the pastoral and agro pastoralist communities in northern Tanzania is due to weak and dormant platforms to facilitate open dialogues among stakeholders, inadequate coordination of efforts among government institutions and other actors, conflict of laws on natural resource management and governance and inadequate knowledge on natural resource laws among stakeholders has led to improper management of natural resources and conflicts over natural resources use and control among the communities.

Land Governance Gender and Accountability (LGA)

Land Governance and Accountability Project is one of the projects implemented by Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF) under Land Based Investment department. This project is jointly supported by Wealthaus Diözese Graz-Seckau and DKA Austria Hilfswerk der Katholischen Jungschar, organizations which are based in Austria. The overall objective of the project is to enhance knowledge and strengthen local government institutions on land governance and accountability at the local level. 

The objective of the project includes addressing inadequate participation of communities in addressing land governance issues. The project significantly contributes to strength land governance in Pawaga and Kwamtoro divisions and sensitize villagers and village leaders on rights to land, governance and other salient matters resulting from land governance and accountability with gender lenses.

Mama Misitu Campaign

Mama Misitu Campaign is a five years communications campaign aiming to improve the governance of Tanzania’s forests and improve the legality of forest harvesting, so that the people of Tanzania can increasingly benefit from sustainably managed forests.

The Campaign is called Mama Misitu (‘Mother Forests’), summoning visions of a mother taking care of her house and the environment. Mama Misitu Campaign promotes women participation in bringing changes towards improving forest governance.

Where we came from?

In 2008 the Tanzania Forest Working Group (TFWG) launched the pilot phase of the campaign in response to TRAFFIC’s 2007 report on illegal timber trade, ‘Forestry, Governance and National Development: ‘lessons learnt from a logging boom in Southern Tanzania’. This report brought several key issues to light, including revenue shortfalls, large scale corruption, and unsustainable rates of harvesting and loss of biodiversity. The report recommended community participation in forest management through outreach and advocacy to reduce illegal logging. It is for these reasons that the project takes the form of a campaign and not a conventional project. The pilot phase ran for two years and lessons from the pilot phase made the Tanzania Forestry Working Group develop this five year implementation phase (2011-2016).

Pastoralist Program

The Pastoral Programme is a five-year (2011 – 2015) project  implemented by TNRF and CARE and is funded by Irish Aid. Working through partnerships with registered Tanzanian civil society organizations (CSOs) or community based organizations (CBOs), the Pastoralist Program seeks to improve the capacity of pastoralist communities to overcome poverty, reduce vulnerability and strengthen the rights of men and women for secure and sustainable livelihoods.  CARE manages a grant making mechanism for these CBOs and CSOs so that they can implement projects that will help them to attain their goals and objectives.

Forest Governance Learning Group

The Forest Governance Learning Group (FGLG) is an informal alliance of in-country groups and international partners currently active in seven African and three Asian countries. Issues of FGLG in Tanzania have been based on the illegal timber trade campaign implemented by the Tanzania Forest Working Group (TFWG) and REDD pilot projects issues which are all touching the livelihoods of the rural community and very well linked to timber harvesting. The campaign is based on governance shortfalls study commissioned by the Tanzanian government trying to demonstrate how effective and equitable natural resource governance is absolutely critical to development and livelihoods in Tanzania and the REDD activities are initiations undertaken by TFWG members piloting on the implementation of REDD in Tanzania.

Legal Tools

Briefing Notes

Click on the images of the briefing notes below to download/view them.

Legal Tools: Briefing Note 1

Legal Tools: Briefing Note 2

Legal Tools: Briefing Note 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stories

Download the PDF of the stories here (2.47 MB). 

Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation in Drylands Development Planning in Tanzania

TNRF has implemented a 1-year project to build the capacity of local actors in the Districts of Longido, Monduli and Ngorongoro to design a long term action-research program that will test approaches and mechanisms to mainstream climate change adaptation into their development planning.  This preparatory phase, funded by UKAID-DFID, was implemented in partnership with the local government authorities of the three districts, relevant national institutions, customary leaders and civil society with technical support from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).