Story | 17 Nov, 2008

Natural resource dependence, livelihoods and development: Synthesis of key recommendations for Kenya and Tanzania

Natural resource dependence, livelihoods and development: Synthesis of key recommendations for Kenya and Tanzania (IUCN ESARO 2008)

Photo: IUCN

In Africa, millions of coastal dwellers depend heavily on natural resources to support their
livelihoods, but also have a significant impact on them. For example, over-fishing and destructive
fishing, coupled with broad-scale environmental degradation, have already reduced the productivity
of coastal fisheries in East Africa, lowering catches and undermining livelihoods. This is in part due to
the pressing needs of widespread poverty, and continues because poverty reduction strategies are
failing in coastal communities. In Kenya and Tanzania the majority of coastal communities are
categorised as living at or below national poverty l ines. Coastal communi t ies also remai n
disempowered in terms of ownership over the marine resources on which they depend, which
remain common pool and thus particularly prone to over exploitation.

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