ILEJE DISTRICT BASELINE REPORT 2013 - REVISED INTERGRATING POVERTY-ENVIRONMENT-GENDER OBJECTIVES IN DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR ACCELERATING ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY Prof. A.V.Y. Mbelle 2013 Department of Economics; University of Dar es Salaam ii | P a g e ILEJE: A DISTRICT OF CONTRASTING ECOLOGICAL ZONES TRADE-OFF: ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION VERSUS GOOD HOUSING CONDITION OPPORTUNITIES Tree planting Bee keeping Tourism iii | P a g e TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS i List of Tables Iv List of Figures iv Abbreviations and Acronyms v Acknowledgement Vi Executive summary vii I BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1 II ILEJE DISTRICT ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY 2 III PEOPLE, POVERTY AND ENVIRONMENT 5 IV ILEJE DISTRICT PRIORITY SECTORS FOR POVERTY ERADICATION 10 V ILEJE DISTRICT PRIORITIES IN EACH PRIORITY SECTOR 10 VI ILEJE DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND BUDGET 15 VII ILEJE DISTRICT HUMAN RESOURCES, TOOLS AND COORDINATION 18 MECHANISMS FOR MAINSTREAMING POVERTY REDUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES STRATEGIC PLAN AND BUDGETS IN THE SECTORS OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERY AND FORESTRY VIII WOMEN AND YOUTH PARTICIPATION/INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNING 19 AND BUDGETING IN AGRICULTURE, FISHERY AND FOREST SECTORS IN ILEJE DISTRICT IX KEY GEOGRAPHICAL SITES (VILLAGES OR AREA/LOCATION IN A 19 VILLAGE) IN THE DISTRICT FOR IMMEDIATE ACTIONS /INTERVENTIONS IN AGRICULTURE, FISHERY AND FORESTRY FOR iv | P a g e ACHIEVING “BIG RESULTS NOW” X SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INTEGRATING AND 20 IMPLEMENTING POVERTY-ENVIRONMENT NEXUS IN THE DISTRICT XI PROPOSED POVERTY-ENVIRONMENT BASELINES, TARGETS AND 20 INDICATORS X11 CONCLUSION 24 REFERENCES 24 ANNEXES 27 List of Tables, Figures Table Description Page 2.1 Resource Potential of Ileje District 4 2.2 Population of Ileje District by Ward, 2012 5 4.1 Ileje District Poverty Indicators 8 6.1 Ileje District: Own Source Revenue 15 7.1 Ileje District: Human Resource Shortfalls in Water Sector by Qualification 18 11.1 Objectives, Baselines, Targets & Indicators LIST OF FIGURES Figure Description 1.1 Ileje District Map 3 v | P a g e ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS BRN Big Results Now CCM Chama cha Mapinduzi CSC Capacity and Sustainability Centre MDG Millennium Development Goal MTEF Medium Term Expenditure Framework NAIVS National Agricultural Inputs Voucher System NGO Non-Governmental Organization NMB National Micro Bank O&OD Opportunities and Obstacles to Development PEI Poverty Environment Initiative SACCOS Savings and Credit Cooperative Society TANZAM Tanzania - Zambia TASAF Tanzania Social Action Fund UNEP United Nations Environmental Management Programme URT United Republic of Tanzania PFM Participatory Forest Management VICOBA Village Community Banks vi | P a g e Acknowledgement Production of this report was made possible with the support of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Dar es Salaam Local Office which funded the field work. The Department of Economics, University of Dar es Salaam ably serviced the work. Special thanks go to Ileje District Commissioner and Ileje District Development Director for their utmost support and guidance during field work. District technocrats were exemplary in the areas of their expertise in providing the required information. In same vein, the candidness and openness of respondents deserves special mention. Dr. Innocent Karamagi of the Department of Economics, University of Dar es Salaam provided valuable support during field work and contributed some paragraphs to this report. Economist Jerome Maganga Ndomba led in handling both field logistics and actual co-administration of interviews. The support of the two is greatly acknowledged. While those acknowledged helped shape this report, errors and omissions remain mine. Prof. A.V.Y. Mbelle vii | P a g e Executive summary Introduction and background The overarching objective of this report is to present baseline information that aims at establishing current status and future targets, milestones and indicators to measure and assess poverty-environment-gender nexus in Ileje District, Tanzania; with a view to improving development planning in terms of ability to integrate poverty-environment-gender objectives for sustainable economic development. The expectation is that district capacities to mainstream and implement environmental sustainability, poverty reduction, gender and climate change linkages into district and sector development plans will be enhanced, starting with agriculture, forestry and fishery as well as develop financial mechanisms. Poverty –Environment Indicators are used in order to facilitate the development of tools for integration of environment into development plans and budget processes as well as assisting in monitoring the linkage between bio-capacity and human poverty. When the environment is degraded by 1%, poverty increases by 0.26%. Economic geography The diversity of agro – economic zones supports a variety of economic activities and offers greater opportunities for development. The 18 wards of Ileje district exhibit wide differences in terms of size and population characteristics. This is an opportunity for targeting programmes such as poverty reduction and empowerment of women. People, Poverty and Environment Over 85 percent of the 124,451 inhabitants (58,463 or 47 percent males and 65,988 or 53 percent female) of Ileje population, are predominantly agriculturalists. Immense business opportunities exist locally as well as international through cross border trading with people of Malawi. Ileje district is poorly served with financial services infrastructure to support such opportunities. About 31.4 percent of the district‟s inhabitants live below the basic needs poverty line (compared to Mbeya regional incidence of 23.8 percent; though slightly better than the national average of 35.7 percent (2000/01 latest district level data). The depth of poverty in Ileje is the highest in Mbeya region meaning that it will take more efforts to lift Ileje people out of basic needs poverty than any other district in Mbeya region. About T.Shs 358,677,489 or USD 221,405.9) per month. This is the monthly amount of money needed to bring the poor population of Ileje District to the basic needs poverty line as of 2011/12. viii | P a g e Non-income measures of poverty, such as housing condition, access to education and health place the district at a better position. Deforestation is the main environmental challenge. Notable improvements in housing condition are achieved at the expense of forest cover mainly due to weak enforcement of stipulated by- laws protecting forest resource. The main challenge with respect to trans-boundary resources (forests and river Songwe is how to operationalize common laws that should apply to both Tanzania and Malawi. District priorities in each priority sector In agriculture, the top five are productivity improvement, processing, marketing, storage and irrigation projects. Other priorities included use of non- chemical fertilizers, enforcement of bylaws guarding against encroachment of river sources and river banks, and introduction/scaling up of sunflower as a new cash crop. With regard to forestry, finding alternatives to wood as source of fuel was ranked first. Further, afforestation/reforestation, enforcing bylaws; environmental education and awareness. Other identified areas are enforcement of land use plans, apiary farms (bee keeping), and investment in forestry products. Lastly preservation of trans boundary resources (river Songwe basin and woodlands) was suggested. District Development Plan and Budget Ileje district relies for about 96.1 percent of its budget on Central Government (own source revenue is only about 3.9 percent. There has been a general decline in own source revenue collection. A number of measures need to be taken to improve collection. These include widening tax base, improving infrastructure in order to attract investments, tax payer education, etc. District development plans and budget do integrate poverty reduction, gender and environment management objectives. Human Resources, tools and coordination mechanisms for mainstreaming poverty reduction and environmental conservation objectives Strategic Plan and budgets in the Sectors of agriculture, fishery and forestry Capacity in agriculture (number of staff, skill levels, knowledge, tools, coordination mechanism etc.) was assessed adequate. With respect to water, capacity especially in terms of staff is inadequate. ix | P a g e The challenges that limit integration are inadequate number of staff in key areas and financial constraints leading to failure to implement the intended plans. Youth and women participation/involvement on plan and budget in agriculture, fishery and forest sectors Participation of women is ensured through requiring representation in committees such as irrigation committees, to constitute at least 40 percent while male representatives are not to exceed 60 percent. Through their groups, women and youth have been able to raise their voices and have their ideas integrated in district plans. Key geographical sites (villages or an area/location in a village) in the District for immediate actions /interventions in agriculture, fishery and forest for achieving Big Results now The main suggestion was improving tradition irrigation system at Ibingu and Kalembo villages. Suggestion/recommendation for integrating and implementing poverty-environment nexus The recommended areas are: Dealing with poverty first: Stakeholders view poverty to be the cause of environmental degradation. Addressing poverty