Adolfo Caridade MASCARENHAS LINKS Trust Fund, Tanzania, United Republic of

1. Listening for Change

2. Listening for Change
The value of researching
climate, natural resources
and livelihoods across global to
the local scales in Tanzania

3. Funded by:
U.S. National Science Foundation
Geography and Spatial Sciences Program Sokoine University of
Award # 921952 Agriculture

4. From Global Speculation, to
National & Local Realities
• Conventional Climate Change (CC) has spawned
diverse professionals and interest groups
operating at a global as well as at a national
level.
• In CONTRAST
• Participatory Local Level Research encourages
communities to tell researchers about
CC, important resources , their
experiences, realities and aspiration.
•

6. Climate Change? What is that?
•ALL communities are AWARE of massive variations
in weather patterns and information goes back to
generations. CC is NOT a number one threat …..it is a
backdrop!! .
•NON CLIMATE CHANGE is MAJOR FACTOR
.livelihoods, ownership of assets, land and resources
have brought new opportunities and threats.
•Matters of
infrastructure, governance, justice, equity and
information are the more critical variables and more
important than CC !!

7. All Drought are NOT the Same!
• Bureaucrats & Modelers • Communities
• Happy with sweeping • Even have specific
generalizations NAPA names, characteristics
• Have standard answers in • More concerned about
the tool kit & but what solutions, alternatives
were the questions? emerging constraints
• Policies are more • Kept in the dark about
important than new technologies &
implications information.
• Stereotyping • Dynamic,

8. Where did CC fit as a Problem?
• In Mangulai A Village • Despite 2 years of
NONE of the 10 ranked drought the markets
problems included CC were vibrant
High up was isolation, lack
of infrastructure, the
livelihood of conflicts with
their neighbours etc.
• Basically these were all
SOLVABLE problems of
management, governance
and planning!

9. The Problem Is Not CC. The Greatest
Risks related to ASSETS, LIVELIHOODS
, TRANSPARENCY, JUSTICE
• Research has generated new • Who says that the
knowledge, specific and
Maasai cannot
evidence based.
generate maps?
• This evidence has a global
spatial component, cultural
as well as market value; its
dynamic.
• Planning, decision
making, interventions and
policy shortcoming become
apparent

10. CC or a ruse? Contradictions.
• Briefly, focus will be on 3
resources:
• LAND Use Land / Availability
• WATER both for domestic and
agricultural use
• FOREST in the context of climate
change availability;

11. More than 2/3 of Mwanga District
Like Tanzania is Arid to Semi Arid! The
choice is between a global
Biodiversity or arid lands

12. There is room for sisal estates but the
goat herder also has rights.

13. Africans do not conserve, African
women destroy forests. The REDD
Solution
• For generations in the NPM individuals &
communities have preserved forests and used
them sustainably,
• African women do not cut trees for fun. They
use dried wood as an energy use. The solution is
to make available other sources!
• In its present form the REDD Solution is not
really in African interest. It has to be
renegotiated

14. Water …. Investments Traditional or
Modern…..Can disappear overnight
Small Catchments, heavy downpour
NyM Dam for whom & sweeping destruction

15. The Maasai who have strong cultural
traditions have begun to change
Pastoralism is important ..but so is agricultural

17. Conclusion
• 4. 0 Conclusion
• THERE IS VALUE IN RESEARCH
……..if you are prepared to
• LISTEN & LEARN

18. Sustainable Development Is Possible
• Sustainable development, that ensures
equity, investment in knowledge
generation by the trio of the
governments, the private sector and the
communities will ensure that natural
hazards are contained and the avoidable
social strife and violence, so common in
Africa, do not occur.

19. Misuse of POWER & Information
• If the CREATOR had to
fine tune & give lonely
ADAM a companion so
too can we mortals.
• Inclusive
Socially, Gender, diversi
ty, face REALITY

20. Listening for Change