http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/?l=62825 December 2013 Green Economy in Biosphere Reserves (GEBR) project which is being implemented by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) under the support of KOICA is a regional project on Green Economy in Biosphere Reserves (GEBR). The UNESCO-Dar officer in charge (OIC) Abdoul Coulibaly said that the beneficiaries of this project will be the local communities in the EUBR and the administrator of the reserve. Director General of National Environment Management Council (NEMC) Eng Bonaventure Baya said the East Usambara biosphere reserves (EUBR) is designated in 2000 and it is among the 34 global biodiversity hotspot. EUBR is located within Muheza, Korogwe and Mkinga District ......................... http://celp.org.uk/webpages/projects/ecology/forest%20reserves/tanga.htm The twenty one catchment forest reserves administered by the Catchment Forestry Project in Tanga Region are in four districts, - Handeni, - Korogwe, - Lushoto and - Muheza. Most of the catchment forest reserves in Lushoto district are administered by the Magamba Project, but three (BUMBA MAVUMBI, KISIMA GONJA and MWENI-GOMBELO) are administered by the Korogwe Catchment Forest office. Most of the catchment forest reserves in Muheza District are administered by the East Usambara Catchment Forest Project, but one (TONGWE) does not appear to be under any office. The East Usambara Catchment Forest Project also now administers a number of reserves which were formerly under the Korogwe District Catchment Forest office. A number of other reserves in Tanga region are recorded as being protective reserves under Central Government control, but are under Local Authority administration. The administrative status of these reserves needs to be clarified. The Catchment Forest Reserves in Tanga Region are administered by a number of different projects: The Catchment Forestry Project; The East Usambara Catchment Forest Project; and the Magamba Project. Data presented here is for those reserves administered by the Catchment Forestry Project, information on the other reserves is only partially compiled at the present time. Muheza District There are thirteen Catchment Forest Reserves in Muheza District. Twelve of these cover high rainfall areas on the East Usambara mountains and are administered by the East Usambara Catchment Forestry Project (NKOMBOLA, KAMBAI (proposed), SEGOMA, BAMBA, NGAMBO (proposed), MTAI, AMANI SIGI, AMANI WEST, KWAMGUMI, KWAMARIMBA, MLUNGUI (proposed), MLINGA PEAK (proposed). ............... WWF see? ..... Tanga Catchment Forest Project to build on their achievements under FINNIDA The forest in this part of the estate is in the process being gazetted as an extension of Kwamgumi Forest Reserve. This is the terminal evaluation of the 6 year and 9 month $5 million UNDP/GEF “Conservation and Management of the Eastern Arc Mountain Forests” (CMEAMF) project in Tanzania. The project was initially planned as a five year project. It will be operationally closed on June 30, 2010. A separate evaluation of the German-funded aspects of the project (which contributed to in a no-cost extension of the project from its previously revised closing date of December, 2009 to the present one) is planned at that time. The Project is a joint UNDP/World Bank GEF project which is nationally executed (NEX) by the Forestry and Beekeeping Division (FBD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT). The Project had its origin in an international conference on the Eastern Arc Mountains (EAMs) organized by the Tanzania Forestry Research Institute (TAFORI) in 1997. Following this conference the FBD of the MNRT developed a proposal for funding to the GEF. Project development funds totaling $ 214,308 were granted through a PDF A and a PDF B from the GEF to assist in the design of the Project. A successful proposal to the GEF resulted in the $12 million project which had four main objectives, two of which formed the UNDP/GEF project totaling $5 million, and two the World Bank/GEF project totaling $7 million: The project also played an important role in assisting Tanzania in leveraging UN REDD funding and German Government Climate Change Initiative funding (collectively around $8.8 million), and in helping Tanzania prepare a R-PIN for the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. The project’s investment in a comparative carbon study assessing carbon stocks within and outside protected areas, and associated capacity building and advocacy was instrumental in paving the way for Tanzania to become a Quick Start country under the UN REDD programme. Without this investment it is quite likely that Tanzania would not have been invited to join Quick Start. It is noted that UN REDD programme activities and associated REDD activities financed by the Government of Norway will significantly increase the funding available for forest conservation and is expected to improve sector governance WWF TZ Usumbaras Peter Sumbi office dar 255 22 270 00 77 ast Usambara Forest Landscape Restoration Project Tanga Catchments Project Tanzania Forest Conservation Group East Usambara Conservation Area Management Program 2.3.1 Kuzekibago village Kuzekibago is a lowland village, which was registered in 1976 following the villagilization operation of 1975 in the country. It borders Bosha village to the north, Kwamtili estate and Semdoe forest to the east, Kambai and Kizerui village to the south and south east and Nilo forest reserve to the west. The village has ten hamlets which are Kibago (A), Kibago (B), Mabanda, Seluka, Kwamtili, Kwesangazi, Magati, Antakai, Miongwe and Feza. It forms part of the Semdoe - Segoma forest gap. There are 595 households with a population of 3,256 people, 1202, 1056 and 998 being men, women and children respectively. It has one village forest reserve (36ha). Land ownership is traditional and is controlled by clan. There are some few people who own up to 70 acres leaving majority with 1 to 2.5 hectares. Crops cultivation mainly using hand hoe is the dominant land use occupying 80% of the village land. It is a mixed intercropping practice of maize, beans, bananas, cassava, green gram, and cow pea and tree crops mostly planted close to homesteads like mango, cashew nuts and coconuts. Yield levels of maize ranges from 3 to 5 bags of 100Kg per acre. Slash and burn is more less a traditional way of land preparation and this is attributed to forest fire incidences in the area. Another source is fire connected with illegal logging, hunting of small animals such as digdig, and traditional honey harvesting Some of the bottlenecks to optimal crops production are poverty, poor soil fertility, land scarcity, low crop prices, poor soil conservation measures, poor cultivars that have low productivity, unreliability of seasons, vermin, inadequate capital for supplying necessary agricultural inputs, poor infrastructure and accessibility of the markets. 2.3.3 Churwa village Churwa village was registered in 1976. It borders Bosha village in the north, Kwamtili estate and Semdoe forest reserve to the south, Muze village to the east and Kauzeni sisal estate to the north and west. Currently it doesn’t have a village forest reserve. There are 593 households with a population of 2,532 people. Land ownership is traditional and is controlled by clan where majority owns about 1 to 2 hectares. Crops cultivation is mainly by using hand hoe. They practice a mixed intercropping of maize, beans, bananas, cassava, green gram, cow pea and tree crops like mango, cashew nuts, coconuts and oranges. Yield levels of maize ranges from 3 to 6 bags of 100Kg per acre. Slash and burn is a traditional way of land preparation of which is attributed to forest fire incidences in the area. Other causes of fires are lack of fire management plan, encroachment and other illegal activities in forest reserve particularly traditional honey harvesting and logging. Some of the bottlenecks to optimal crops production have been poor agricultural extension services and soil fertility, land scarcity, low crop prices, poor soil conservation measures, poor cultivars that have low productivity, unreliability of seasons, vermin, inadequate capital for supplying necessary agricultural inputs, poor infrastructure and accessibility of the markets.