Conserving Tanzania’s landscapes

I am Emmanuel Stephen Lekundayo, born and raised in Arusha, Northern Tanzania but currently working for a grassroot organization in rural western Tanzania called Landscape and Conservation Mentors Organization (LCMO). Our project is community based and we operate around protected areas where we work to promote nature conservation and improve community livelihoods. We do this through environment conservation, conservation education, communitybased conservation initiatives, ecotourism, economic development and cultural activities.

I serve as Programme Coordinator for LCMO. I am also the Lead Supervisor of a community based greening programme, that works to support tree planting efforts and environmental conservation in 15 villages of Mpimbwe District Council. I enjoy nature walks and this is why I spend much of my time working to ensure that trees and the green ecosystems of Mpimbwe continue to flourish.

Communities bordering most forests and wildlife areas in Mpimbwe mainly practice farming and livestock keeping. Over recent years, there has been increasing reliance on natural resources for both subsistence and commercial use. This has been fuelled by the rise in agropastoral immigration into the Mpimbwe area. The high need for natural resources in the area has also been propelled by seasonal food security in these areas. Trees are being felled for firewood and timber, animals hunted for bush meat, open areas overgrazed. All these have a significant negative impact on the environment. Cutting trees and overgrazing expose soils to erosion, reducing space on land suitable for human activities. The Greening Mpimbwe Project has been working with youths in villages that surround forest and wildlife areas to help share with them knowledge of how to use their local resources sustainably. We also help them restore their environment by planting more trees, especially multi-value species that help meet the needs of the communities.

My community is not sufficiently prepared for the consequences of climate change. The existing challenges, such as unpredictable rains, seriously impacts food security, livestock keeping and seriously increases the risk of outbreaks of diseases such as cholera.

The Greening Mpimbwe Campaign is an active program under LCMO that aims to uplift the quality of environment through active planting, proper maintenance of trees and the remnant natural forests within village lands in Mpimbwe District Council. We also carry out environmental education and awareness raising in surrounding villages. We hope that in the long term that this project will reduce encroachment into the remaining forest around the village and reduce the use of wood for timber and firewood, which are the main drivers of deforestation.

Most of the trees are planted near homes, farms and in school compounds. During the tree planting season, we usually assess the needs of school and farmers and advise them on the species that are appropriate to plant in their area to address existing challenges. This is because different trees have varied benefits and so, we advise people to take trees that will suit their needs.

The biggest unexpected outcome is that all the new multi-value tree species we trailed in the area did well and the community is now very aware of the value trees. Until recently, we used to spend a lot of money transporting tree saplings to people’s homesteads and on conducting public awareness campaigns, but surprisingly over the last two seasons, most people visit the tree nurseries and pick trees for themselves.

Another notable difference is that during the infant stage of this project we encouraged people to have at least three to five trees in their homesteads but as we progressed, we started encouraging people to own tree farms. Currently we have more than 15 farmers with trees farms all supported by our tree nursery, hence there has been a huge improvement in tree planting.

These were the ideas we presented to our main funder, the International Tree Foundation. LCMO is very grateful for all the positive changes that are happening around Mpimbwe. Indeed, there is a lot that still needs to be done but the stepping stone that we have established have taken us miles ahead.

We faced difficulties at the early stages of the project, due to limited funds and lack of technical support from local and government institutions. We saw a difference after we received our first ever grant from the International Tree Foundation which supported capacity building and the establishment of tree nurseries. This changed the project and how people viewed it. One of our key achievements is our ability to produce over 15,000 tree seedlings every season.

The project has increased the trust the community has in us, and led us to implement other projects such as beekeeping as a livelihood alternative. Some people have even dubbed us the name ‘Watu wa Miti’ which means People of the Trees. Last year we were asked to provide trees for a regional tree planting campaign. Additionally, we have been able to secure three different grants and also some international organisations have shown an interest in collaborating with us in the future.

Personally, this project has helped me grow professionally. This started after I was selected to participate in the very prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship program and the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) at the Alumni Enrichment Institute. I was selected as a result of this project and its impact on the community.

Climate change is affecting everyone right now, and marginalised communities are the most affected. In recent times, we have witnessed how humans and other living species are struggling to survive due to historically severe droughts across Eastern Africa. While other areas like Pakistan are being severely affected by floods. Climate change has led to unpredictable seasons in our area. For instance in 2020, our area received heavy rainfall which affected food production, as most farms were destroyed by floods, some communities were displaced, and a lot of infrastructure was destroyed. In the following seasons of 2021 and 2022, the area experienced very minimal rain which also led to reduced food production.

My community is not sufficiently prepared for the consequences of climate change. The existing challenges, such as unpredictable rains, seriously impacts food security, livestock keeping and seriously increases the risk of outbreaks of diseases such as cholera.

I would like to encourage everyone, especially the marginalized communities, that even though our voices are hardly heard, our actions can make a huge difference. Everyone can do a little by planting a tree in their home yard, farm, school or other suitable place.

Emmanuel Stephens Lekundayo is the Programme Coordinator at Landscape and Conservation Mentors Organization (LCMO) in Tanzania.