Post-colonial Zanzibar land reform and its environmental implications

The main objective of this study was to examine the processes involved in the postcolonial land reform in Zanzibar and their environmental implications, covering the period from 1964 to 2010. To accomplish this objective, the study was conducted in 14 villages in Unguja and Pemba. The study was informed by the political ecology theory and Carolyn Merchant’s model in analysing Ecological Revolutions. The study sought and used data from archives, interviews and published sources. It is argued that the land redistribution processes were affected by socio-political conditions, which paved the way to poor uses of the redistributed land, which in turn led to environmental problems. Poor planning of the reform process and lack of security of land tenure made some beneficiaries fail to take proper care of the land or change the use of their plots from agricultural to settlement areas. Some made little effort to develop their land, while others totally abandoned their plots after finding other means of earning their livelihoods. Consequently, people cut down clove trees for charcoal burning and for use as building materials. This had a negative impact on Zanzibar’s economy as it resulted in the decline of cash crops. Poor security of land tenure also resulted in negative environmental impacts arising from poor management of the redistributed plots. In executing the reform, the government did not put in place any clear strategies to ensure that the beneficiaries of the land reform programme enjoyed a secure tenure and developed their plots. Intimidation by government officials and lack of secure land tenure discouraged the beneficiaries of the programme from developing their plots. Yet, in spite of the shortcomings, the land reform eliminated the landlord class in Zanzibar and allowed Africans to own land.