The negative impact of land acquisition on indigenous communities’ livelihood and environment in Tanzania

This paper examines the negative impact of land acquisition programmes on the indigenous communities’ livelihood and environment. The paper presents the key findings of a study which was carried out in Morogoro Municipality in Tanzania. The study was carried out in four wards covering the peripheries of Morogoro Municipality and some sections of Uluguru Mountains forest reserve. A combination of Participatory Urban Appraisal (PUA) techniques and direct researchers’ observations were used to collect primary data for the study. Published and grey literature was the main source of secondary data. Findings show that land acquisition programmes in the study area have a negative impact on the livelihood of indigenous people and the environment. Some of the problems noted include loss of land, loss of means of livelihood, disruption of economic activities, persistent land-related conflicts, and relocations to poorly developed areas, inadequate and late compensation, and environmental degradation. Disagreement over the implementation of the provisions of the land acquisition legislation was noted to be one of the main sources of land acquisition related disputes. Low level of education and ignorance of the law by the majority of the indigenous people was another cause of land-related disputes. To address the problems, the paper advances some recommendations. These include the carrying out of adequate consultation and sensitization prior to land acquisition exercises, payment of full, fair and prompt compensation to the affected people, promoting conservation agriculture on the mountain slopes, strengthening awareness programmes on the land laws and policies, and improving ordinary people’s access to formal institutions responsible for the provision of justice.