Integrating Culture and Policy for Wetland Management in Tanzania: An Exploration of the Challenges and Opportunities for Biodiversity Conservation
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Wetlands are dynamic ecosystems that, despite covering less than 7% of the Earth's surface, support a rich diversity of life, filter water, trap sediments, and help prevent flooding and erosion. For these reasons, they are often referred to as the” Earth’s kidneys”. In Tanzania, where wetlands cover about 10% of the land, the management of these ecosystems has evolved over time. Local communities have adopted traditional practices, but full implementation of the Ramsar Convention's 'wise use' principles, established in 1971, remains incomplete. This paper, based on a survey of 174 households, examines how a combination of cultural practices and policy institutions affects wetland management for biodiversity conservation in Tanzania. It addresses challenges related to institutional compliance and enforcement, particularly where policies overlap. The findings highlight three key points: (1) Cultural practices often outperform formal policies in conserving biodiversity. For example, cultural protection contributed to a reduction of 323 hectares of open water areas and 137 hectares of forests, while fish and bird biodiversity increased in these culturally protected areas; (2) Violations of customs are viewed as sinful, which discourages encroachment and helps preserve wetland services, with sacred wetlands remaining well-preserved; and (3) Local community institutions, which rely on wetlands for their well-being, have been more effective in ensuring compliance and enforcement than formal institutions. Finally, the study acknowledges that the cross-cultural dimension was not addressed in this manuscript, which represents one of its limitations.
DOI: 10.71624/7h2ejq48
Author: J. Ngowi, Norbert
Institution: Mzumbe University
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7078849267