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

• changes in trade routes according to changes in harvest areas, and a greater proportion of timber
transported by land than sea;
• changes in class and species composition due to misclassification and overexploitation with a
higher percentage of lower value species harvested moving southwards;
• changes in product composition with higher numbers of planks and smaller logs;
• higher proportion of larger trucks moving across the Rufiji River transporting timber;
• higher percentage of vehicles moving across the Rufiji River involved in timber trade;
• decline in the average size of logs and sawn wood due to overexploitation; and
• reduction in seasonality in trade.
Whilst some indicators will need to be refined, replaced or added (especially to encapsulate
environment-poverty linkages) over time, a total of 58 general indicators and a further five speciesspecific
indicators were identified during this preliminary study (Table 35). Table 35 includes the
source of data collected during this study, prospects for future data collection, and level of priority for
future collection. As a minimum, future data collection efforts should aim to ensure collection of all
high priority indicators. Greater efforts are required to develop strategies of detecting and monitoring
quantities of sawn timber transported by bicycles, dhows and closed lorries.
It is further envisaged that lessons learnt from the ongoing monitoring of these indicators will assist the
Government of Tanzania refine national-level monitoring of environment-poverty linkages and poverty
reduction efforts. As stated in the PRSP (Anon., 2000d): ‘Future iterations of the PRSP …. will capture
more fully these linkages and help define a more consistent framework for managing activities aimed at
protecting the environment.’
Capacity building
A lack of management capacity at all levels was identified as a major causal factor for current alarming
trends in forest degradation that will ultimately lead to negative livelihood and economic impacts.
Highest priorities include the strengthening of Kibiti checkpoint, the first official checkpoint north of
Rufiji River located in a strategic position to capture most of the wood products moving across the Rufiji
River north towards Dar es Salaam. Capacity building should be intensified by the central government
(FBD) in collaboration with district authorities throughout the study area, including the enhancement of
existing checkpoint facilities, development of monitoring tools, skills training in forest products,
standardised data collection and improved liasons and co-ordination between different bodies. The need
to build capacity at local government level was prioritised during the Meeting of Directors of
Conservation and Economic Planning, held in February 2002 in Kenya (Mariki et al., 2003).
Low wages and incentives are believed to be one reason why some government staff and even police
officers become involved in the untrustful control of illegal harvesting and trade in timber products
(Anon., 2002c). It is therefore imperative that existing salary structures and working conditions are
reviewed and increased, something that should be justifiable considering the high percentage of revenues
coming from sale of forest products.
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