policy-briefing-165-fb52a6357e014e67.pdf

This policy briefing examines the ecological importance and governance challenges of the Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania and Kenya. It highlights that approximately 70% of the original forest cover has been lost due to deforestation and degradation, driven largely by population growth and a heavy reliance on biomass for energy. Despite a comprehensive policy framework and significant donor funding—including REDD+ initiatives—the document argues that governance failures, lack of state funding, and poor enforcement of local by-laws have hindered conservation efforts.

• The Eastern Arc Mountains, spanning Tanzania and Kenya, are a critical biodiversity hotspot and carbon sink, but have lost an estimated 70% of their original forest cover to deforestation and degradation.
• Tanzania loses approximately 373,000 hectares of forest annually, with significant losses occurring in the Eastern Arc Mountains. Between 2000 and 2015, the country lost about 5.86 million hectares of forest cover, representing roughly 10% of its total forest cover.
• Deforestation in Tanzania is primarily driven by a 3% population growth rate and a high dependency on wood and charcoal for energy. This is evident in rural areas, where only 17% of households have electricity, and in urban centers like Dar es Salaam, where residents use over 1,900 tonnes of charcoal daily.
• Tanzania's forest governance has suffered from a lack of funding, particularly following an International Monetary Fund structural adjustment programme in the 1980s and 1990s. Consequently, central government-administered National Forest Reserves have been identified as having the lowest level of management effectiveness.
• Between 2009 and 2014, Tanzania's REDD+ programme received approximately $75 million in donor funding, while the Tanzanian government contributed only $2 million (or just over $6 million including in-kind contributions). Critics argue these funds primarily benefited consultants, academia, and government departments rather than local communities, failing to resolve core deforestation challenges.
• Despite the establishment of the Eastern Arc Mountains Endowment Fund in 2001, local forest governance remains weak. In some areas, such as the Kimboza Forest Reserve, village-level constitutional and collective choice rules have collapsed, rendering operational rules ineffective.
• To improve forest governance, the briefing recommends combating the reliance on biomass for energy, strengthening participatory forest management through increased state resource allocation, and enhancing the science-policy interface to support evidence-based interventions.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). policy-briefing-165-fb52a6357e014e67.pdf. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Policy-Briefing-165.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. policy-briefing-165-fb52a6357e014e67.pdf. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Policy-Briefing-165.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=policy-briefing-165-fb52a6357e014e67.pdf |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Policy-Briefing-165.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndpolicybriefing165fb52a6357e014e67pdf, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{policy-briefing-165-fb52a6357e014e67.pdf}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Policy-Briefing-165.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }