Bridging the Gap: linking timber trade with infrastructural ...

METHODOLOGY
This study was conducted during a 12-month period commencing in August 2001, and was co-ordinated
by the Tanzania office of TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa. The timeframe was designed to ensure that
essential baseline data were collected before completion of Mkapa Bridge. Prior to conducting any
fieldwork, stakeholder consultations were conducted with more than 70 people to collect existing
literature, understand perceptions from different sectors, and to modify and plan the research
methodologies. Stakeholders were visited in Dar es Salaam, Rufiji, Kilwa and Lindi Districts, including
representatives from the Forestry and Beekeeping Division, regional and district government offices,
foreign aid agencies, village committee members, local and international non-governmental
organizations, commercial logging companies and other members of the private sector. Over 150
relevant documents were collected pertaining to natural resource distribution, use, trade, socio-economics,
monitoring, trade regulation, policies, legislation and poverty alleviation.
Three field trips were conducted in total, spanning the period from October 2001 to January 2002.
During these field trips, information was collected through: government data; roadside trade research; and
mapping of logging roads.
Data collection of government records
Central and local government timber trade records were collected from five districts: Rufiji, Kilwa, Lindi,
Nachingwea and Liwale. An attempt was made to collect data for at least the most recent calendar year
(Table 1). Comprehensive records were collected and analysed from timber harvest licensing offices
throughout the study area, major government natural resource checkpoints, the Ndundu ferry service, one
sawmill in Ikwiriri, and shipments from Mtwara, Lindi and Kilwa ports (Table 1; Figure 2).
Timber harvest licensing offices
Wherever possible, data were collected from original harvest licences in order to obtain the most detailed
and accurate information available. Annex 2 provides further information on the fee structure for harvest
licences. In addition, numerous monthly, biannual and annual reports were collected. Special attention
was paid to analysing harvest areas specified on the harvest licences as these are not routinely analysed by
authorities.
Government natural resource checkpoints
Raw data were collected from five strategic checkpoints (Figure 2). All five checkpoints exhibited poor
infrastructure and equipment, a factor that was reported to negatively affect motivation and possibly drive
corrupt practices. Records taken at Kibiti checkpoint - located north of Ikwiriri, the most important
checkpoint strategically with respect to the Rufiji River crossing - were expanded for a three-month
period to include additional social variables, namely the age, gender and education level of the traders
involved (Table 1).
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