Forest Justice in Tanzania (FJT) Phase 2 (2020-2021)

Overview of the FJT Project
The Forest Justice in Tanzania initiative, is a partnership project between the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) and Community Forest Conservation Network of Tanzania (MJUMITA). FJT is a demand-driven process that reflects a growing call for change within the forest sector from Participatory Forest Management (PFM) stakeholders, including village governments, Members of Tanzania Forest Working Group, and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) established by villages participating in Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) in Tanzania.

Phase 1 of the project was implemented between 2011 and 2015, and phase two will be implemented for the period of 24 months, 2020 to 2021. The project is funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) through Accountability in Tanzania phase 2 (AcT 2) program, managed by KPMG.

Why Forest Justice in Tanzania Project Phase 2 (FJT2)?
Forest Justice in Tanzania Project phase 2 was driven by the existing challenges facing forest sector in Tanzania specifically the unreserved forests within the village land. Some of the challenges to be addressed by the project are as follows:

  • More than 17.6 million hectares of forest cover which is equivalent to 80% of forests found in the village land are not legally reserved;
  • More than 469,000 hectares of forests are cleared every year in Tanzania with most deforestation occurring on unreserved forests within the village land, mostly due to small-scale, slash-and-burn agriculture and illegal/unsustainable harvesting of forest product;
  • New government regulations attempting to recentralize control of decisions on forest-based enterprises in the Village land Forest Reserves (VLFRs). Example, the GN 417 of 24th, May 2019 has recentralized decision on preparation of harvesting plan and approval of buyers of forest products from VLFRs. This is disincentivizing communities to conserve more forests on the village land.

FJT2 Project goal
The goal of FJT2 project is to increase accountability and responsiveness of central and local government to protect the climate and other ecological services that natural forests provide to Tanzanian citizens.

How will Forest Justice in Tanzania (FJT 2 Project) achieve its desired objectives?

Project will achieve its goal under three big changes:

Change 1: More communities in Tanzania have more power to manage and benefit from their natural forests;

Change 2: International climate finance and investment by the government is reaching communities involved in protecting forests found in the village land.

Change 3: Deforestation in 3 nationally and internationally important forests is addressed

Project boundary partners
For the project to achieve its goals, it aimed to work with the following boundary partners

President’s Office-Regional Administration and Local Government and Local Government Authorities;
Forest and Beekeeping Division (FBD), and Tanzania Forest Service (TFS);
Elected leaders i.e. Member of parliaments and ward councilors
Village councils
The project will also work with different strategic partners including media, low enforcement institutions, local and national auditors, courts of law and other oversight authorities.

PROJECT DETAILS

Categories:
Location: Tanzania
Completed: 2011 and 2015

PROJECT DETAILS

CONTACT

Old Bagamoyo Road, Plot No. 323, Msasani Village P.O. Box 21522, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

+255 784 416 063

mjumitaorg@mjumita.org

P.O. Box 21522, Dar es Salaam

Mon - Sat: 9:00 - 18:00