During the 1980s, the Miombo woodland and Acacia savanna ecosystems of the Shinyanga region in northern Tanzania were well on the path to desertification following 60 years of deforestation and land degradation. Traditional rangeland management using a system of fodder reserves known as Ngitili lost ground to commercial crop production, overpopulation, unsustainable grazing practices, and relocation programs. A soil conservation program was initiated in 1986 by the government (HASHI, in Swahili). Slowly things began to turn around, and by 1990, HASHI started to receive financial support from Norway and technical engagement from the World Agroforestry Center. A key early innovation was to revive the traditional practice of Ngitili to restore degraded landscapes. HASHI promoted coordination between government, especially at the village level, and traditional institutions by aligning statutory law from the government with customary laws and regulations. The HASHI project helped tens of thousands of smallholders to restore degraded land and significantly improved their incomes and well-being.

Type of Case
Printed publication (book, sourcebook, journal article…)

Publisher
Forestoration International

Region
Africa

Biome
Tropical

Forest Type
Degraded forest

Primary Designated Function
All