Environmental Education for Forest Resources Management in Loliondo Area, Northern Tanzania

Abstract

In this dissertation, I analyze the impact of three environmental education strategies implemented in rural northern Tanzania focused on forest-related knowledge. In Chapter Five, I assess the impact of two strategies—face-to-face group discussion and mobile phone texting—on knowledge. I also compare the effectiveness of the two strategies in terms of change in knowledge among participants and cost-effectiveness. I find a positive association between environmental education and knowledge, but only for the face-to-face group discussion strategy. In Chapter Six, I assess the impact of using a photo-map (a high-resolution map made from satellite imagery) on knowledge about forest health status. Increasingly, satellite images are being used for knowledge transfer and land use planning as they facilitate visual learning. While survey data show no evidence of increased knowledge, qualitative data suggest that knowledge increased among participants. To understand the actual health status of the forest, I analyzed satellite imagery and determined how the forest's land use land cover changed between 2003 and 2014. I compared land cover results with participants' knowledge about health status. Results suggest that people's answers to the question about forest health status were politicized; participants ensured that their answers aligned with community's conservation obligations. In Chapter Seven, I assess factors that influence engagement in environmentally friendly behaviors and found that, as in previous studies, both knowledge and sense of personal responsibility are strong determinants of engagement among people in Loliondo.