An Historical Survey on Environmental Conservation Initiatives in Iringa Region, Tanzania, 1974–2020

Abstract

With the growing climate change worldwide manifested mainly through deforestation as part of the increased human activities toward environment for earning life, some stakeholders have started addressing this problem locally and nationally. In Iringa region, Tanzania, some efforts have been put in place to overcome deforestation challenges by with having a ministry designed to deal with environmental conservation. Non-governmental organizations are dedicated to environmental conservations. These efforts have attracted less scholarship than the negative cases. This paper uses Iringa region which since colonial period attracted investors on tea, tobacco, plantation forests (by state and private actors) and avocados to explore the varied activities that have been in place between 1974 and 2020 in addressing environmental degradation. These efforts were divided between state and non-governmental actors. This paper uses primary documentary reviews and secondary sources to make its arguments. It was discovered that climate effects have been felt by majority of the people in Iringa and as a result, there have been efforts at the level of individuals, non-governmental organizations and the state to ameliorate climate by and planting trees. Tree planting was positive on the plantation forests as villagers wanted to gain economically.