Participation and Sustainability: Partners in Conflict?

Abstract

The East Usambara Mountains found in Tanga Region in the Northern coast of Tanzania have been an area of interest to many locally and world-wide. Locally, the mountains have been a water catchment area for the river Sigi that supplies water to the surrounding areas as well as the Tanga municipality. The forests that cover the mountains have supplied fuelwood and timber to communities; they have also provided places for worship and rituals to mention just the main ones. Internationally, the scientific community see the mountains as unique, due to their harbouring of many endemic plants. In realisation of this uniqueness, the German colonial administration started a botanical garden at Amani at the beginning of this century. Todate, the area is a site for botanical, forestry, and agricultural research.