NGITILI: an indigenous natural resources management system in Shinyanga

The region of Shinyanga that lies on the southern side of Lake Victoria in north western Tanzania is home to the Wasukuma who are agro-pastoralists. It represents approximately 5.4% of the total land area in Tanzania. Over 80% of the population in Shinyanaga own livestock for daily household sustenance and income generation. The population of the area has doubled from 1.4 million in 1980 to 2.8 million in 2003. As a consequence, the numbers of livestock have similarly doubled, representing 20% of the total livestock in Tanzania on 5.4% of its total land area. This situation has exposed Shinyanga to the risk of environmental degradation occasioned by overgrazing. The natural forests and vegetation cover in the area have also been lost due to bush fires, area expansion for cash crops and attempts to eradicate the tsetse fly. The loss of indigenous woodlands and land cover has resulted in wood fuel scarcity, loss of biodiversity and water shortage in wells. This degradation is compounded by the fact that the land in this region is primarily owned by the Government and therefore there is little incentive for the population to invest in land conservation and regeneration. Massive environmental degradation in Shinyanga has caused severe hunger, conflicts and increased poverty.