Environmental conservation through tree planting : the case of Nyakato, Mwanza

Date
2007
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Southern New Hampshire University
Abstract
The Nyakato Tree Planting Project aims at addressing the deforestation problem facing Mwanza City. The deforestation problem has brought about undesirable consequences of soil erosion, soil infertility for peasant farmers around the city, formation of gullies, lack of tree shades and clean air, pollution, sedimentation and silting of the lake and drainage system in the City as a result of running water during rain seasons caused by minimal water percolation main reason been missing, tree and grass cover. Also health hazards caused by squatter dwellers on the hills whose human extreta is carried by running water down hills, into others homesteads and eventually into the lake causing water diseases, such as chlorella and diarrhea. Also spoiling the natural beauty of the City. Major causes of this problem are lack of awareness of importance of forestation, unplanned settlements caused by huge population influx to the City accompanied by inadequate allocation of residential plots, income poverty, forcing cutting trees for selling for firewood and charcoal and other social cultural reasons. The Nyakato Tree Planting Project operating in two wards is one of the few CBOs which has devoted to address the deforestation problem by doing the following interventions by awareness creation on the hazards caused by deforestation among the key Government and Religious Leaders and community at large. Also strengthening its capacity through human resource development and acquisition of tools and to expand tree planting interventions into other wards. (Author abstract)
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