Last week, John Richard, Charles Kilawe and René Eschen interviewed people affected by Prosopis juliflora in the area south of Moshi town, Tanzania. This is part of the r4d Digital Storytellers project, which aims to document how r4d projects help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Among other impacts, Prosopis severely reduces access to grazing land and the amount of available fodder and it increases the cost of farming. The species has started invading Tanzania relatively recently and various communities in the region are affected. The Woody Weeds project facilitates decision making by so-called Local Implementation Groups (LIG), consisting of diverse stakeholders, about management of Prosopis in their communities. The appropriate management options differ depending on the stage of the invasion. The interviewees spoke about the impact of the Prosopis invasion on their livelihoods and their involvement in the LIGs. They also explained the management methods for prevention, early eradication and control of Prosopis that are being tested.

A chairman tells about how Prosopis threatens grazing lands in his community and how three communities will jointly implement Early Detection Rapid Response measures to prevent the invasion.

Similar interviews were held in Baringo (Kenya). In Amani (Tanzania), we interviewed LIG members about the impacts of Lantana camara, Clidemia hirta and bracken, Pteridium aquilinum, on agriculture in their area and the sustainable land management practices that are tested as part of the LIG activities.