- An initiative that enables village leaders to make informed decisions that balance livestock production, wildlife conservation, and ecosystem health has been recognized globally.
- The Sustainable Rangelands Initiative (SRI) is being implemented in Northern and Central Tanzania, in Simanjiro, Babati, Longido, Same, Monduli, Ngorogoro, and Mwanga districts, which are crucial for livestock and wildlife activities.
- Through the initiative, local grazing committees and trained community grassland monitors use digital tools such as mobile phones to collect information about sources of water, vegetation cover, grass growth rates and soil health, as well as invasive species.
- The data collected is channeled to central village level technology centers and used to guide grazing plans based on evident trends. Since many villages experience network challenges, the system is designed to enable users collect data when offline and upload it once the network is available.
Pastoralists in rural Tanzania have been recognized globally for applying a blend of local knowledge and new technology in efforts to restore degraded land and provide pasture.
The community-led project dubbed Sustainable Rangelands Initiative, developed by African People & Wildlife (APW), won in the NatureTech Stewards category at the inaugural IUCN Tech4Nature Awards, held during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi last October.
The Sustainable Rangelands Initiative (SRI) has been implemented in Northern and Central Tanzania, in Simanjiro, Babati, Longido, Same, Monduli, Ngorogoro, and Mwanga districts. APW’s Director of Community Conservation and Environment Neovitus Sianga says this was because the areas are crucial for livestock and wildlife activities.
Under this initiative by APW and the local community, local grazing committees and trained community grassland monitors use mobile phones to collect information about water sources, vegetation cover, grass growth rates, soil health and invasive species.
Nasma Mustafa, a Rangeland Monitor from Engaluka Village, describes the key steps: “We use a measuring tape, a rope and a phone. The rope is stretched over 100 meters on the ground, at the same level with a measuring tape with five marks. We then observe which of the five marks touches vegetation and which ones touch bare ground. The information collected is transferred to a form through phones. This is repeated until a targeted area is covered. The collected data is transmitted to the community grazing committee for further steps.”
The data is channeled to central village level technology centers and used to guide grazing plans based on evident trends. With this, pastoralists can balance their livestock needs against that of wildlife. The information is presented in local dialects and contexts, making it easy for communities to engage with data that reflects their daily experiences.
“The motivation behind using affordable, easy-to-learn, and reliable technology in remote environments was to ensure that communities actively participate in the monitoring process themselves,” says Sianga.
Since many villages experience network challenges, the system is designed to enable users to collect data when offline and upload it once the network is available. According to the APW Co-Founder and CEO Dr Laly Lichtenfeld, they acknowledged the place of healthy grasslands in pastoral livelihoods and wildlife conservation, inspired by the community’s evident understanding of the environment through signs that reflect generations of observation.
Sam Greene, a conservation expert, specializing in dry-land ecosystems, stresses the importance of understanding local context before implementing community-led projects. “It is crucial for tailor-making the approaches,” he says.
Community members appreciate their involvement in the project. “Our communities now work collaboratively. Land that was once bare now has pasture. We also have
transport and tools to monitor and manage areas that were unreachable before,” says
Yohana Lesirkon, a grazing committee member.
APW Communications and Outreach Manager Katy Teson told Mongabay in a telephone interview that the technology centers also provide space for local community members to gather, review information and combine their traditional understanding with digital tools to plan land use.
Visible impact
“To date more than 10,000 acres of degraded grassland have been restored through 29 local sites, while more than 800,000 acres are now under community management,” said Dr. Lichtenfeld. In addition, their monitoring has recorded improvements such as return of grass where there was none, increased vegetation cover, better food quality and improved habitat for wildlife, he says.
Since its inception in 2016, the initiative has also influenced national policies. In 2021, for instance, the APW provided technical expertise for the country’s national guidelines for rangelands management, ensuring that community-based insights shaped national frameworks.
Not an easy road
However, the project is not without hurdles. Network connectivity delays monitors from sending data from remote grazing areas. Since the monitors need continuous training to collect accurate and consistent ecological data, capacity building is a need. It is also difficult to coordinate grazing decisions for multiple villages and committees, especially during drought when pressure on rangelands increases. Environmental factors such as drought, invasive species, and land degradation also make restoration work more urgent and complex.
“When communities have access to knowledge and technology. They can utilize their own governance systems to make informed choices about their land and livelihoods, leading to lasting impacts,” said Dr. Lichtenfeld.
Several APW staff have viewed the IUCN Tech4Nature Award as recognition, a source of pride and testament to Tanzania’s increasing leadership in community-driven conservation. “This award also reinforces the importance of communities’ role in protecting rangelands. Additionally, the award strengthens APW’s credibility at national and regional levels, helping to influence policy and encourage greater investment in sustainable land management across Tanzania,” said Dr Sianga.
Banner image: Rangeland monitors at work. Image by Emmily Tunuka – APW
Credits
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