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FORESTS, LIVELIHOODS AND THE MDGS IN TANZANIA AND LAO PDR
By Edmund Barrow, R.J. Fisher, Lucy Emerton, and Andrew Ingles
The value of forests as a means of addressing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is often underestimated. This paper presents evidence from Tanzania and Lao PDR, which demonstrates the significant contribution of forests to poverty reduction, improved health, education and gender equity.
The MDGs are a major international challenge, but also a basis for re-affirming our linkages with the environment and natural resources as key assets for our livelihoods. Biodiversity and tree-based assets are undervalued in national statistics and accounting, and are grossly underinvested in development decision making. Based on evidence from Tanzania and Lao PDR, we show that forests have been making a significant contribution to the MDG indicators. The evidence calls for greater recognition of the value of sustainably managed forests for poverty reduction. Our case studies show that forests can contribute to meeting several of the MDGs.
Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger (MDG 1)
Many millions of people use forest and woodland resources to sustain livelihoods, add variety to otherwise bland diets, or as a basis for risk mitigation and provision of contingent needs. In the 833 villages (approximately 2.22 million people) of the Shinyanga region, Tanzania , the value of restored woodlands to rural people’s livelihood amounts to US$14 per person per month (or about US$1,200 per household per annum), which is significantly higher than the national average rural consumption of US$8.50 per person per month (Monela et al. 2005). This translates into an asset value of over US$31 million per annum across the whole region. Ninety per cent of the people living in the Shinyanga have their own ‘ngitili’ (locally managed and enforced forest enclosure). By the year 2000, between 300,000 and 500,000 hectares of ngitili had been restored in the 833 villages of the region (Barrow and Mlenge 2003).
In Lao PDR, 3,600 (approximately 24,000 people) households in 160 villages, bordering the Nam Et-Phou Loei Protected Area, use forest assets to the value of US$229 for subsistence, and to generate a cash income of US$84 per household per year. These assets support 44% of subsistence needs, 55% of cash needs and account for 46% of the total household economy (Emerton 2005). Other non-cash inputs, e.g. wood for fuel and timber, medicines, and resins account for 12% of the household budget.
Supporting education (MDG 2)
Natural resources can either be an asset, a cost, or a combination of both to education. Non-attendance at school, due for example to fuelwood collection or livestock herding, reduces the chances of completing primary education. But it is common to undervalue, or ignore the critical role environmental assets play in covering school fees, providing materials to construct school buildings, providing easier access to clean water, and as a source of natural fruits to supplement children’s diets. In Shinyanga, 36% of families use income from the sale of woodland products to pay for education costs (fees and contributions to school buildings) (Monela et al. 2005). Many schools have their own restored ngitili, which provide fuelwood, building timber and fruit. Other people have used income from the sale of forest products to pay for university and tertiary education. Forestderived contributions to education in Shinyanga average about US$23 per household per annum, amounting to a regional total of approximately US$8.5 million a year.
Gender empowerment (MDG 3)
As a result of the woodland restoration in Shinyanga and the close proximity of the ngitili, women have quick and ready access to fuelwood and other forest materials. This has reduced the time taken to collect fuelwood by up to four hours and has freed up time for them to engage in other productive activities that can improve gender empowerment and equity.
Health (MDGs 4, 5, and 6)
The woodland restoration in Shinyanga has led to improved household nutrition and the ready availability of a diverse range of edible products including fruit, vegetables and insects. Over 22% percent of households in the region have used the restored woodland as a source of food and fruit (Monela et al. 2005). About 14% of households regularly use medicinal plants from the woodland (Monela et al. 2005). Medicinal plants may be used alongside, or in many cases instead of a formal health care system that may be too distant or costly to access. The value of such medicinal plants sourced in the forest is high – up to US$36.3 million for the whole region.
Many factors can contribute to improved maternal health care. Reducing the time spent collecting water, fuel and food means that mothers can spend more quality time with their children and face less hardship during pregnancy. Clean and easily available water reduces the incidence of water born diseases. Throughout the dry season, 10-30% of Shinyanga households noticed an improved availability and quality of water following the restoration of woodland areas. This was estimated to have a monetary value of between US$2 and US$50 per household per year (Monela et al. 2005).
In Lao PDR ( Nam Et-Phou Loei Protected Area), forest foods provide an average 4% of a person’s daily energy intake, 40% of calcium, 24% of iron, and 40% of vitamins A and C (Emerton 2005). Increasingly the effectiveness of many herbal remedies is being recognized and valued. Although this is important for local level health care, formal health systems have been reluctant to acknowledge the role of herbal remedies.
Ensuring environmental sustainability (MDG 7)
There have been significant biodiversity gains in both sites. Over 152 species of tree, shrub and climbers were found in the restored woodlands in Shinyanga, together with up to 30 families of grasses and herbs and 145 species of bird (Monela et al. 2005). In Lao PDR, communities living around the Nam Et- Phou Loei Protected Area use 40 species of tree, 15 of bamboo, 6 palm, 34 wild vegetable, 12 wild fruit, 7 grasses, 4 vines, 13 mushrooms and 56 medicinal plants (a total of nearly 200 species) as well as a number of wild fauna (Emerton 2005).
Forests and trees – a critical livelihood asset
Policy interventions that fail to take into account the complex relationship between conservation and poverty reduction risk failure (Adams et al. 2004). The overall value of biodiversity to national economies is consistently under-valued. Environmental goods and services have to be more visibly taken into account and invested in at the local, district and national level. Forest assets represent important livelihood opportunities for many rural people, providing a cash income (to cover education), fuel and timber for building, valuable medicines, and an improved ground water supply. Failure to place appropriate value on forest assets is not just an accounting problem – but leads to under-investment, and is detrimental to sustainable livelihoods and conservation. It also undermines the very social and economic development that the global and local community aspires to, and compromises the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
References:
Adams , W.M., R Aveling, D. Brockington, B. Dickson, J. Elliott, J. Hutton, D. Roe, B. Vira and W. Wolmer. 2004. Biodiversity Conservation and the Eradication of Poverty. Science 306:1146-1149.
Barrow, E., and W. Mlenge. 2003. Trees as Key to Pastoralist Risk Management in Semi Arid Landscapes in Shinyanga, Tanzania, and Turkana, Kenya. Page 12. International Conference on Rural Livelihoods, Forest and Biodiversity. CIFOR, Bonn , Germany .
Emerton, L. 2005. Making the Economic Links Between Biodiversity and Poverty Reduction: The Case of Lao PDR. Page 12. IUCN - The World Conservation Union , Ecosystems and Livelihoods Group Asia, Colombo.
Monela, G. C., S.A.O. Chamshama, R. Mwaipopo, and D. M. Gamassa. 2005. A Study on the Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of Forest Landscape Restoration in Shinyanga Region , Tanzania . Page xvii +205. Forestry and Beekeeping Division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, United Republic of Tanzania , and IUCN - The World Conservation Union Eastern Africa Regional Office, Dar-es- Salaam , Tanzania .
Further information:
Edmund Barrow
IUCN – the World Conservation Union
Eastern Africa Regional Office
P.O.Box 68200-00200
Nairobi
Kenya
Email: Edmund.Barrow@iucn.org
R.J. Fisher
Australian Mekong Resource Centre,
University of Sydney
Lucy Emerton
IUCN – the World Conservation Union Asia Regional Office
Andrew Ingles
IUCN – the World Conservation Union Asia Regional Office