Unsustainable logging and destructive mining practices: these are just two examples of threats to the abundant forests in the beautiful country of Tanzania. The government has found a simple but effective way to prevent deforestation: it lets the local forest communities take care of them. Local populations collectively decide how to manage their forest. In Tanzania, up to 14,000 elected community governments were given jurisdiction over resource rights within their local areas. They were giving training on how to create a sustainable source of income through activities like the artisanal harvesting of timber, commercial beekeeping and butterfly farming, and the sale of vegetables, insects and herbs. The community forest program turns out to be a success in Tanzania. It could work as an example for other countries around the world.
Success story: In Tanzania, local communities own and manage forests themselves
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