Deforestation in Tanzania: A Development Crisis? The Experience of Kahama District
Salome B. Misana
Abstract: The study sets out to provide an understanding of the principal processes underlying deforestation in Kahama District. In particular, the study investigates the extent and causes of deforestation, focusing more on tobacco cultivation, and tries to link this to broader processes of social, economic and technological change, which characterises a particular style of development, centred on agricultural production. It also seeks to analyse first the role played by government policies in deforestation and secondly policies and strategies to deal with deforestation processes and their impacts at local and national levels. A field survey of the vegetation was undertaken in the study area. This involved traversing through the vegetation at randomly selected points and collecting relevant information such as the type of vegetation, dominant species, type of land use in the surrounding areas and any evidence for deforestation. The study findings show that extensive areas of woodland have been completely deforested while in some areas, the woodland has been considerably degraded. The results of the study have also shown that deforestation is intricately related to the world economy. The study concludes by raising certain issues that need to be addressed to safeguard the finite resource base on which the development base of the country depends.