Minja, Gloria2020-02-032020-02-032016Minja, G. (2016) Rural perceptions on land degradation and implications for conservation from gender perspectives: a case of mtego wa simba and Pangawe villages around Uluguru mountains, Morogoro Tanzania, Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaamhttp://41.86.178.5:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/6880Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF S625.T34M56)This study was conducted in Morogoro Rural District in Morogoro Region specifically in two villages of Mtego wa Simba and Pangawe that surround the Uluguru Mountain. The study aimed at assessing the socio-economic characteristics of the communities living around Uluguru Mountains through gender lens, the perception on causes and impacts of land degradation to the communities living around Uluguru Mountains through gender lens as well as how the local communities around Uluguru Mountains have been adapting to the effects of land degradation for their livelihood from gender perspectives. The study further examined the constraints and opportunities these local communities face in engaging in conservation and its implication to land management. The techniques for collection of primary data included household questionnaire, Key Informant Interviews (KII), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and direct field observation through structured and semi structured questionnaire. Secondary data were obtained from published and unpublished sources. The information obtained from both primary and secondary sources were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The results indicate that, socio economic characteristics of respondents such as age, low level of education, high rate of immigrants and lack of land ownership mostly to females influenced land degradation in the studied areas. It was established that among the causes of land degradation is forest destruction; which includes burning of forest, poor forest harvesting, woodcutting, charcoal making and timber harvesting where by males seemed to destruct forest more than females. Moreover, the result indicates that, poor agricultural practices such as use of fire during farm preparation, cultivation on the steeps slops of the mountain without terracing, monoculture done by both males and females in study areas together with bricks making that mostly practiced by males caused land degradation hence increased threats to sustainable land use. The threats includes decline in soil fertility, destruction of forest and natural vegetation, decline in production as well as drying of water sources. The results further show that planting trees as way of adapting land degradation in the study area was done by both males and females although males seemed to play a major role than females. In contrast the result indicates that, females were more aware on applying manure/natural fertilizer and making of agricultural reform in adapting to the problem of land degradation in the study area. The findings however, revealed the constraints faced local communities in engaging in land management based on their gender were lack or low level of education as large proportion of males and females respondents ended up with primary education or not attended formal education, lack of credit/fund (financial constraints), lack of sense of land ownership and land shortage especially for females as well as lack of time for both males and females to engage in land conservation. Study findings revealed various opportunities that could be obtained from land conservation including good healthy, increase in production, increase in income, increase in pastures as well as availability of water, wood, timber for buildings and charcoal for domestic use. The study recommends the need to launch campaigns in affected areas so that people basing on their gender and age become aware of land degradation so as to enhance land management in the study area.enLand degradationSoil conservationMtego wa Simba villagePangawe villageUluguru MountainsMorogoroTanzaniaThesis