Access to Environmental Information and Implications on Natural Resources Management: A Case of Northern Tanzania

Majory K. Silisyene, University of Minnesota

Population increase is one of the main factors contributing to challenges in natural resources management. As population increases, forest clearance increases. This trend is particularly common in Sub-Saharan Africa; Tanzania being among them. Loliondo II Forest Catchment Reserve located in Northern Tanzania is among forests at risk of being depleted. The likeliness that this forest may continue to be destroyed not only reduces the chances of survival of people in the area, but also the chances of existence of irreplaceable ecosystems, including the Serengeti Ecosystem. This study analyzes information access and sharing from surveys and interviews with the goal of understanding how people learn about the status of their forest, as well as about relevant environmental issues. Findings show that both men and women heavily rely on village meetings and word of mouth, and that the environmental information they access rarely focus on natural resource management strategies.