The importance of local forest benefits: Valuation of nontimber forest products in the eastern arc mountains in Tanzania

Schaafsma, M., Morse-Jones, S., Posen, P., Swetnam, R. D., Balmford, A., Bateman, I. J., Burgess, N., Chamshama, S. A. O., Fisher, B., Freeman, T., Geofrey, V., Green, R., Hepelwa, A. S., Hernández-Sirvent, A., Hess, S., Kajembe, G. C., Kayharara, G., Kilonzo, M., Kulindwa, K., Lund, J. F., Madoffe, S. S., Mbwambo, L., Meilby, H., Ngaga, Y. M., Theilade, I., Treue, T., Van Beukering, P., Vyamana, V. G. and Turner, R. K. (2011) The importance of local forest benefits: Valuation of nontimber forest products in the eastern arc mountains in Tanzania. Working Paper - Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (1). pp. 1-49. ISSN 0967-8875

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Abstract

Understanding the spatial distribution of the quantity and value of Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFP) collection gives insight into the benefits that local communities obtain from forests, and can inform decisions about the selection of forested areas that are eligible for conservation and enforcement of regulations. In this paper we estimate transferable household production functions of NTFP extraction in the Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM) in Tanzania, based on information from several multisite datasets related to the behaviour of over 2000 households. These micro-level models can be used to predict the value of NTFP collection across a broader spatial scale. The study shows that the total benefit flow of charcoal, firewood, poles and thatch from the EAM to the local population has an estimated value of TSH 59 billion (USD 42 million) per year, and provides an important source of additional income for local communities, especially the poorest. We therefore argue that further restrictions on forest access to promote conservation will require additional policies to prevent a consequent increase in poverty, and an enforced trade-off between conservation and energy supply to rural and urban households.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	benefit transfer,environmental valuation,non-timber forest products,global and planetary change,geography, planning and development,aerospace engineering,management, monitoring, policy and law,earth and planetary sciences(all) ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2306
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE) Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Social Sciences
Related URLs:	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	08 Dec 2025 12:30
Last Modified:	14 Dec 2025 06:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/101305
DOI:

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