In His Own Words – Background Paper

[Note: This paper was prepared for delivery at a conference on semi-arid land use issues. We present it here because it gives background on his life and more detail about his conservation work.]

MY BACKGROUND

My name is Sebastian Chuwa. I was born in 1954 at Sungu Village in Kibosho Moshi Rural District in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. I live with my wife, my four children and my mother in my ancestral home on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, 11 miles north of Moshi. This area in northeast Tanzania is of great environmental, commercial and scenic importance to the nation. It contains Olduvai Gorge, the Serengeti Plain and Ngorongoro Crater, home of one of the largest lion populations in the world. Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru near Arusha are climbed by hikers from many countries. Local safari services regularly conduct expeditions into the surroundings parklands and much of the area’s income is derived from visiting tourists and film makers.

EDUCATION

My late father, Michael Iwaku Chuwa, was an herbalist. He took me along on his forest trips whenever he went to collect medicinal herbs and taught me the uses and names of many plants. On completing my primary and secondary education I was very interested in getting an environmental education because I wanted to learn more about those plants and their environment. So in the middle of 1972 I got a government scholarship to join the College of African Wildlife Management Mweka in Moshi, Tanzania. I graduated in 1974 with a Certificate in Wildlife Management. Since then I have continually updated my botanical training by various courses of study, both in Tanzania and abroad. In 1990 I received a diploma in botany from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, England.

EMPLOYMENT

In 1974 I found employment as a research assistant with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority. Over the next 20 years I advanced to the position of Assistant Conservator. During those years I conducted extensive research on the plants of Ngorongoro and collaborated in drawing up a New Management Plan for Ngorongoro Conservation Area. With the aim of stopping poaching of the endangered black rhinoceros, I introduced a documentation system for every rhino. In this system each rhino was named, photographed and then assigned to a park ranger. It was the responsibility of every ranger to keep an eye on his animal. One can literally say that these rangers were the watchdogs of the black rhinoceros in Ngorongoro. When the rhinoceros-monitoring program was published in the Ngorongoro Bulletin, it drew the attention of many international organizations interested in ecological monitoring.

I have also worked as a botanical officer at the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam and Arusha, conducting biodiversity studies and preparing GIS Vegetation Species Composition Maps of the Ngorongoro Crater area, Tarangire National Park and Udzungwa National Park. I am also seasonally employed as botanical safari guide for the Serengeti Park and Ngorongoro Crater area.

TANZANIA

In addressing the theme of this talk, "The Question of Poverty in Semi-Arid Regions," I would like to give some background about the area of Africa in which I live and especially the significance of Mt. Kilimanjaro to this region and to the problem of poverty.

Tanzania is a country which has a long record of peace and political stability but it is a poor country with a very low per capita income and a population which is growing at the rate of 3 per cent a year. The combination of poverty and population increase has put a great deal of pressure on the natural ecosystem. On the lowland plains the land is fragile and not easily replenished because of semi-arid weather conditions. Its soils are composed of fine granite particles which are easily compacted, lack humus, and are easily eroded. The woodlands are sparsely covered and tree growth is often slow.

The pressures from increasing population overtaxes this already fragile ecosystem. 90% of the people survive by agriculture which leads to excessive clearing of land, often by fire. Sometimes these fires burn out of control. In addition the local population depends on available natural resources for subsistence purposes such as fuelwood, building materials and medicinal supplies. Often the land around towns is stripped bare of vegetation and the overuse of available resources outpaces the ability of the land to restore itself. The resulting lack of trees and ground cover leads to a cycle of ever increasing deterioration of soil quality. This is a problem throughout Africa; its topsoil is being lost at an alarming rate and the very ability of the residents to support themselves is in peril.

KILIMANJARO

In the highland areas such as Mt. Kilimanjaro, where I live, the environment is very different from the lowland plains, but the natural health of Kilimanjaro is of vital importance to the whole country, especially the lowlands, because of the key role it plays in the ecosystem. Kilimanjaro is a Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage site, just as Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater.

Very few natural features worldwide are as well known as Mount Kilimanjaro. Its dramatic snow-clad slopes predominate the landscape of north central Tanzania. Most of the rare and endemic flora of Tanzania is found in her moist mountain forests. Mount Kilimanjaro has a rich and diverse flora, which includes over 1800 species of flowering plants and 700 species of lower plants. The soil of Kilimanjaro is of volcanic origin and naturally rich and productive. Over the generations the mountain dwellers have developed a multi-storied cropping system which has made Kilimanjaro one of the richest agricultural areas of Africa.

In 1992 the UN Conference on Environment and Development included a report on mountains in Chapter 13 of Agenda 21, indicating their importance to the international community. Mountains are literally the "water towers" of the world, supplying the freshwater needs for more than half of humanity, as well as a significant portion of the Earth's timber, minerals and grazing land. In arid and semi-arid lands mountains can supply up to 90% of freshwater needs.

Mt. Kilimanjaro is a major source of sweet drinking water for the plains below. Small farmholders use it for irrigation and it is also a power generating source for the National Grid. It is also a major climate modifier of the weather for neighboring regions like Mt. Meru and Amboseli National Reserve in Kenya. In addition Kilimanjaro attracts visitors for various reasons, including tourism, and is therefore an important source of foreign earnings for the country.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

Despite all its beauty, Kilimanjaro is, unfortunately, faced by the same environmental hazards that I have found while doing botanical surveys in a number of other forest reserves such as the Northern Highland Forest Reserve of Ngorongoro, the Coastal Forests of Pugu and Kazimzumbivi and Udzungwa Mountain Forest Reserves. These are the following:

1. Land degradation,
2. Non-availability of good water,
3. Habitat fragmentation and loss of biodiversity,
4. Deterioration of aquatic systems,
5. Deforestation,
6. Frequent forest fires and
7. Pollution.

These problems have a negative impact on the economy and well being of the people of Kilimanjaro and other regions of the nation.

1. Land degradation. The process of land degradation is varied and may not be easily detected or measured. Its severity can be gauged from the red-brown color of streams and in floods as the vital top soil is washed away from upland areas due to bad habits of cultivation on unterraced slopes with a gradient of more than 50%. The productivity of soil has been considerably reduced in many parts of the highlands and middle ecological zones of Kilimanjaro. Land degradation also results in the removal of woody vegetation especially when the removal rate is higher than that of regeneration.

2. Non-availability of good quality water. Uncontrolled tree felling for firewood and construction, encroachment on arable agricultural land on the steep slopes and the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro and south Pare Ranges and the destruction of water catchment systems have deprived many inhabitants in the region of the benefit of smooth enjoyment of the sweet water.

3. Habitat fragmentation and loss of biodiversity. Closed dense forests cover only 14.3% of the Kilimanjaro region. The remainder is comprised mainly of household wood lots, coffee farms, shade trees, street decoration trees and some areas of bush land, all of which contribute to the loss of natural habitat. Loss of biodiversity in these areas arises mainly from the increasing demand for fuelwood, charcoal and wood for rural and urban industries.

The slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro are agriculturally of great importance both regionally and nationally. These slopes have been, for a long time, the chief producing area of the famous Arabica Coffee for Tanzania. This product is the chief cash crop of the natives of the area. It has been the backbone of their economic life since the 1890's. It was not until the early 1970's that this very source of their income was badly attacked by a disease commonly known as CBD (Coffee Berry Disease). This disease attacks coffee berries before they mature and they dry away and fall off the bushes. In an effort to combat this disease many different pesticides were introduced and used in the area but were of minimal effect in remedying the problem. The pesticides did, however, contribute to the loss of biodiversity of the area: e.g., disappearance of butterflies, reptiles, bees, birds etc.

4. Deterioration of Aquatic Systems. From time immemorial Kilimanjaro and its adjacent area have always had sweet water streams providing water to the arable lowlands. As time passed by population in the Kilimanjaro area increased, hence the demand for more trees for housing and more land to cultivate and graze animals. In some places all the available land up to the river banks has been cleared and soil erosion greatly increased. This went on for years and many lowland streams were affected. Today the unthinkable has happened in some areas–lack of water in streams.

5. Deforestation. The rain forest covers less than 2 percent of Tanzania's land surface. There is much concern at present regarding the future of natural catchment areas including the Kilimanjaro forest. The forest and deforestation is currently being widely discussed in Tanzania and experts have come up with some ideas to establish educational programs from the grassroots level.

6. Frequent Forest Fires. There is a quantitative loss of mountain forest cover on Mount Kilimanjaro because of logging and fire. The main culprits are honey gatherers and poachers. This is contributing to the loss of biodiversity and erosion. Again, here, educational programs are underway to educate the natives on how to remedy the situation.

7. Pollution. The environmental pollution in agriculture is mainly due to the use of agrochemical and industrial fertilizers. The pollution arises out of improper handling and overuse of agrochemicals, and use of banned chemicals, e.g., DDT, to control migratory pests. As a result the small lakes around the mountain and dams are infested by water Hyacinth.

Because Mt. Kilimanjaro is so important to the surrounding area as a measure of natural and economic well-being, I have began to use my spare time to educate its people on the value and need of conserving their environment and the best ways to prevent and heal the environmental abuses I have just discussed. If we can correct the problems on Mt. Kilimanjaro all of the surrounding communities will gain many economic benefits. Following are some of the programs I have created with the hope that they will in time restore the land and the people to a more balanced way of living.

THE TRAINING OF YOUTHS

Beginning in 1992 I began to teach the youth of my community the value and need of conserving their environment. I have made many trips to various schools: primary, secondary and colleges to establish environmental conservation clubs. I have managed to establish a network of 31 environmental clubs in my location, Kibosho. These clubs are called Kibosho Malihai Clubs of Tanzania. Malihai is a Swahili word meaning Living Wealth.

By collaborating with teachers of the various schools, we have managed to establish programs in 4 different areas: 1) We offer athletic activities – soccer and volleyball. 2) We teach hygiene. 3) We visit National Parks and teach the principles of conservation and plant identification. We try to establish an understanding of all the living communities in the African ecosystem and what is needed for them to successfully coexist. 4) Every club has tree nurseries and is directly responsible for training and encouraging its surrounding neighbors to plant trees and conserve their environment. Every year Malihai Clubs replant thousands of trees back into the natural ecosystem. In 1992 I became the first Chief Patron of Malihai Clubs in Kibosho East. The formation of these Malihai Clubs has enhanced good co-operation among the schools, villagers and various institutions in the Kilimanjaro region.

In 1996 I initiated the first ever Environmental Day Celebrations in Kibosho East in conjunction with International Environmental Day, organized every year on June 5^th. This first-time event in Tanzania, held at Sungu Primary School, had the aim of making the villagers more aware of the importance of conserving the environment. On that day, everyone was encouraged to plant at least one tree on their land as a sign of putting words in action. In September 1999 I was officially appointed Chairman of The Kilimanjaro Environment Conservation Trust Fund. This was an acknowledgement of my contribution toward Environmental Conservation in Kilimanjaro Region.

Following are some of the initiatives I am introducing into my community through these educational efforts: tree planting programs, encouraging local people to stop the indiscriminate use of pesticides, terraced crop planting on steep slopes to eliminate soil erosion, crop mulching and grass planting to preserve moisture, reduction of water wastage by improved irrigation practices, introducing zero-grazing methods for feeding livestock, reducing the wide use of fire in agricultural and honey-gathering activities, and controlling the wasteful use of fuelwood by using alternate sources of domestic energy and modern cooking stoves.

RAFIKI FRIENDS FOUNDATION

I have been very much encouraged by the appreciation, acknowledgement and interest shown by Rafiki Friends Foundation from California, both governmental and institutional leaders in promoting environmental conservation. Rafiki Friends was formed by a group of people from California who have had the common experience of a safari in Tanzania. Visits to villages around my region inspired them to initiate fundraising efforts for a twofold purpose: to support the education of the children of Tanzania and to promote awareness of the need to preserve Africa's wildlife.

The Rafiki's have been a major contributor to my botanical, educational and conservation work, having assisted in the planting of trees and providing funds for the Malihai youth groups. Over the years they have sent to me used computers, pens, pencils, paper, drawing supplies, sports equipment and environmental books, as well as herbarium equipment, all of which I use in inculcating Tanzanian citizens with a concern and responsibility for their natural resources. They have helped in the rebuilding of schools, as well as furnishing desks, textbooks and school lunches.

They funded the publishing of a book, Environmental Conservation, Kibosho East, edited by myself. It recounts and documents the conservation efforts of the Kibosho area Malihai Clubs, provides a handbook for teaching environmental awareness and includes an extensive list of plant and animal species of the region, compiled by myself.

The Rafiki's have even sent me a 4-wheel drive 1966 Unimog (military transfer troop) truck filled with educational materials for the youth clubs. I use the truck in my travels doing botanical research, and taking school children on wildlife tours. Many of these children, because of their material poverty, have never visited the national parks of Tanzania, so they get the opportunity to experience firsthand the beauty their country has to offer and feel the pride and responsibility necessary to be wise future stewards of the natural riches which are their heritage.

MPINGO: THE AFRICAN BLACKWOOD

Another concern that has been of great importance to me in my 25 years of conservation work has been the steady decline of a tree that grows, not in the mountains, but in the lowland savannah. This is the species known as African blackwood or scientifically, Dalbergia melanoxylon. Its Swahili name is mpingo. It is the national tree of Tanzania and one of the most expensive commercial timbers in the world. The sale of mpingo wood brings in a large source of revenue for Tanzania every year because it is used internationally in several important ways.

Mpingo is called the Tree of Music because it is the premier wood used in the manufacture of woodwind musical instruments such as oboes, clarinets, flutes, piccolos and bagpipes. Within Tanzania a group of world-renowned carvers, the Makonde, also use the wood in making statues and carvings that are purchased by art collectors and museums throughout the world. Their highly intricate art form has been handed down from father to son through many generations. Another art form called Ornamental Turning also relies on the excellent machining qualities of blackwood.

In the woodlands where it grows, the tree is of ecological importance because the nitrogen fixing properties of its roots add nutrients to the generally deficient soil. It also provides fodder for animal species such as the elephants and giraffes of the African Savannah and habitat for smaller species. The local population uses the tree for subsistence needs, for medicine, fuel, building and ceremonial purposes.

I have long been concerned about the future survival of mpingo because, in spite of its great importance, there have been almost no efforts to monitor or conserve it. There has also not been a single large scale effort to replant the tree by either commercial users or conservationists. There have been few efforts to even study the tree, in either a scientific or economic sense, so very little has been recorded about its range of distribution, total population or yearly rate of extraction. This is unfortunate because scientists are already beginning to voice concern about the genetic degradation of mpingo as mature trees with favorable characteristics are continually harvested and trees of inferior quality become the breeding stock

In the region where I live, the Makonde carvers can no longer even find trees on public land, they must pay a fee to harvest from the national preserves. And they must travel longer and longer distances, often on foot, to find this wood for their carvings. This is a very hard job because the wood is dense and heavy.

AFRICAN BLACKWOOD CONSERVATION PROJECT

My efforts to save mpingo were documented in a 1992 PBS Nature series program entitled The Tree of Music. This film chronicles the concern of prominent musicians, artists and instrument manufacturers about the dwindling supply of mpingo. As a result of this program, Mr. James Harris, an ornamental woodturner from Texas, USA contacted me in 1995 and we decided to establish an organization called the African Blackwood Conservation Project devoted to the conservation of the species. Its objectives are: 1) to raise blackwood seedlings in a sheltered environment until old enough to withstand drought and fire danger and then replant them into the African ecosystem; 2) to educate citizens worldwide about the economic, ecological and artistic value of the tree, with the aim of enlisting them to aid the conservation effort; 3) to conduct experimental studies to determine optimal growth requirements for the tree.

Since its inception the ABCP has been successful in establishing a model project in Moshi, a community at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We have established a nursery for the propagation of mpingo seedlings and the village of Moshi has donated a one-acre plot to serve as an experimental orchard. Concurrent with the replanting effort is an educational effort to teach the principals of conservation and illustrate the methods for growing mpingo that I have developed over the years. Since it takes 70-200 years for a tree to grow to maturity, I am organizing educational campaigns so that the trees being planted today will be adequately cared for in the future. To this end I have begun to establish Mpingo Clubs, organized along the same line as the Malihai Clubs, but with a specific focus on the conservation and care of mpingo. The young people from these clubs have already transplanted many thousands of mpingo trees back into their niche in the African ecosystem. Local residents are also being enlisted to help save mpingo. Townspeople plant the seedlings for shade and windbreak purposes. Farmers interplant trees in their cropland and use them as living fences and as a barrier to soil erosion.

In the future we hope to establish a program that will extend our replanting efforts into a wider area, across three regions of northern Tanzania. Our hope is to inspire many communities in these regions to copy our efforts in Moshi and establish a wide network at the community level. The trees planted now will reap many economic rewards for future generations whilst conserving environment during their life span.

CONCLUSION

These are the efforts I have begun, to help the people of my country preserve their natural environment so that their future will be secure. Through my long involvement in environmental conservation I have grown to love nature and I am committed to seeing it conserved. It has pained me to see the environment of my own country being destroyed by forces which could have been and can be controlled by man himself. Through my observation, I have realized that through education the situation can be alleviated. This requires willingness and commitment from the people themselves. There is a great need to educate them on the necessity and importance of self-involvement in environmental conservation. Environmental efforts will only succeed in my country if environmental education is targeted at the community's grassroots level, i.e., from primary schools onward. The future of Tanzania depends on that.

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