Nature conservation is not possible without villagers' participation

Man has been living on the east Usambaras for at least 2000 years. The history of the Washambaa kingdom, who governed the area in the 18th and 19th centuries is quite well documented. The majority of the population in Usambaras still speak Kishambaa-language. The capital of the kingdom was in the West Usambaras. The East Usambaras were rather lightly populated during the last century and still carried very extensive tracts of forests. It is believed that pre-colonial times farming systems on the Usambaras were in a state of ecological equilibrium with the environment: agriculture was practised in such a way that it did not endanger the long-term viability of the community.

German East Africa founded in 1902 a biological and agricultural research station at Amani. Its main task was to carry out research and provide information on introduction of exotic species in fields cleared from natural forest. The station also carried out baseline biological research. The researchers discovered many new species. An extensive Botanical Garden was established. The first Forest Reserves were established by the Germans. A railway was built up to Sigi to transport timber to the port of Tanga.

The Germans established coffee plantations in the main plateau. After the First World War, as Tanganyika was passed into British hands, the coffee plantations, which had not been very successful were gradually converted into tea fields. The forest clearance for large-scale agriculture was continued, but on the other hand new forest reserves were gazetted mainly because of concern about environmental degradation. The forests create a suitable micro-climate for growing tea.

Large-scale commercial timber exploitation was started in the late 1950's as there was demand for raw-material for scentless tea-chests. A logging and wood industry company, Sikh Saw Mill was established in Tanga for processing the raw material from the East Usambaras into plywood and sawnwood. Sikh Saw Mill was nationalised in 1969 and became a subsidiary of Tanzanian Wood Industry Corporation (TWICO). Sikh Saw Mill received substantial support from the Finnish Government starting from 1977 in the form of managerial and financial assistance including new machinery like chain saws, bull-dozers, trucks and peeling plant.

The increased capacity of the Sikh saw mill due to investments from the Finnish development co-operation resulted in additional pressure on the Usambara forests. In 1986 all commercial logging were decided to be finished aiming at conservation of the remnant forests.

Population growth advances forest clearance

The population is growing rapidly in the East Usambaras due to high birth-rate and due to immigration. Nowadays, there is a population more than 100,000 living in the mountains or in the lowlands in the vicinity of the forests in slopes. People are mostly living in villages. Usually. every family has own house or hut and a small cultivation field "shamba" in the public land. New cultivation areas are often cleared in natural forest. In the beginning the soil is relatively fertile and can initially give reasonable crop yields, but with time its productivity declines as nutrient reserves are depleted through harvesting, loss of organic matter, leaching and soil erosion. After some years it becomes worthwhile to abandon the land and seek fresh land from the forest.

The most important food crops are cassava and maize. Also, sweet potato, beans, peanut and rice are cultivated. The most significant cash crops include cardamom and sugarcane. Spices like cinnamon, pepper and clove are cultivated commonly.

Cardamom cultivation started to become big business in the early 1960's which created a major force for forest destruction. Cardamom grows well on fresh forest soils in the sub-montane forest zone after smaller trees and shrubs have been removed. Yields peak about five years after planting, but decline thereafter and less demanding crops are usually planted after eight year. Cardamom cultivation requires gradual cutting of the overstorey trees. The forest can not regenerate while cardamom is being grown and the large remnant trees are exposed to wind and tend to fall. The most common consequence of cardamom cultivation is that the forest is degraded and the topsoil is leached due to erosion.

Forest products are required

The original inhabitants of the East Usambaras: the descendants of the Washambaa kingdom are accustomed to acquire their living from the products of forests. Almost all the energy needed is attained from fuelwood. The building materials: poles and materials for roofs are brought from the forest. Vegetables, spices and fodder are collected from the natural forests. The local doctors find drugs and curative plants from the forest.

The villagers know plant and animal species well Forests are source of various products the villagers can attain from their surroundings. The holy places of the local population are usually the highest mountain tops or the most magnificent rain forests. The local population connects the forest degradation to the climatic change: decreased mistiness, warming of climate and also to the spread of malaria. The rains are reported to have diminished during the latest decades.

Sustainable conservation is not possible without participation of the local communities

It is impossible to close the forest from the people. The local population need to be involved in the management of their living environment. Also, their benefits from the forests should be secured by allowing them to use some forest products controlly. This is the only way to reduce the pressure from the most valuable and vulnerable natural forests. During the phase II of the East Usambara Catchment Forest Project the emphasis has been boosting local participation. Some village forests has been managed jointly by the village and the forest authority. An environmental education package for the school children has been prepared. Women in villages have been the main target group in training of environmental issues.