Tanzania Land Use Dialogues

Land Use Dialogue processes are underway in two landscapes in Tanzania- Ihemi and Kilombero. Both of these landscapes are located in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), a key focus of landscape approach initiatives due to a concentration of globally important biodiversity hotspots- including multiple protected areas, a RAMSAR classified floodplain and elephant migration corridors- and local smallholder farming practices, private sector investment, and intensive agricultural practices. SAGCOT covers approximately one third of mainland Tanzania in a belt that extends North and South of the central rail, road, and power ‘backbone’ that runs from Dar es Salaam to the Northern areas of Zambia and Malawi.

Increasing land use demands from a diversity of sectors puts many landscapes in this region at risk. Providing the tools and concepts for allocating and managing land in the pursuit of social, economic, and environmental objectives in Tanzania - where agriculture and other productive land uses compete with environmental goals - is key for sustainable landscapes in the region. Developing an integrated and holistic view of these landscapes requires a participatory, integrated and bottom-up approach, balancing multiple objectives through engaging private sector stakeholders and local communities and rights holders.