African highlands are highly populated and fragile
ecosystems liable to rapid deterioration when subjected
to destructive forces such as deforestation, poor
agricultural practices and overgrazing. To sustainably
improve nutritional security and income of the rural
communities living in these areas, inter-disciplinary
research and development efforts with strong community
participation and focusing on solving the critical
issues of soil productivity and land use efficiency is
essential. The paper presents experiences of the African
Highland Initiative (AHI) on interdisciplinary research
and development to address complex natural resource
management issues in the Usambara mountains northeastern
Tanzania. It elaborates on how different professionals
from different backgrounds work together with mountain
communities to address the problems of declining system
productivity. The challenges faced and the lessons
learned from this approach are elucidated and
recommendations for improved teamwork efficiency are
given.
1 Paper prepared for the International conference on
interdisciplinary research and management in mountain areas (IRMMA), Banff, Canada, 23-26
September 2004
2 African Highland Initiative (AHI), Lushoto Benchmark Site P.O. Box 22 Lushoto Tanzania
