Realities and Perceptions on Resource Scarcity among Local Resource Users: the Case Mnazi Bay Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park in Tanzania

Abstract

Success in conservation measures in African coasts will very much depend on the level at which peasant communities, who are the major resource users, perceive the existence and urgency of the problems related to availability of those resources. Whilst there is massive technical evidence of resource scarcity trends in coastal areas, the question is to what extent are these accepted and therefore used to inform rural households‟ choices on livelihood strategies? This paper uses the case of multiple-use protected area that has been marred with conflicts whose one of the major causes is the resistance to restrictions imposed on the use of coastal resources by champions of conservation, including central government and other international bodies. The paper establishes that there is overwhelming evidence of resource scarcity as sea level rise, intertidal resources dwindle and cultivable land is reduced in quantity and quality, amid increasing population pressure. This pattern emerges despite the protection status the area has. The resistance of the people to accept some of the obvious resource scarcity indicators is a possible explanation to the low success level of conservation measures fostered by the park management. It is observable that choice of communication methods and messages which  corresponds to the lived experiences of local resource users is the right strategy to boost reception of technical knowledge by local people.

Key words: marine; community conservation; knowledge; Mtwara