Ngea village sits to the west of Mitaurure Forest Reserve. It is part of Mitole ward.
Our work in Ngea
MCDI began working with Ngea village in 2008. Our work has consisted of raising awareness about community based forest management, forest conservation and natural resource governance. We helped the community form a Village Natural Resource Committee (VNRC), develop village land use plans and demarcate boundaries for the Village Land Forest Reserve (VLFR). Ngea was originally selected to join our REDD pilot project, but the forest proved insusceptible to early burning, so our work in Ngea will henceforth focus on timber values.
We have collected baseline socio-economic and governance data from the village so that we can monitor changes overtime from participating in the REDD project. We have also established tree and soil sample plots that we will use to monitor carbon changes over time. Most recently, we began awareness raising and training on fire management, which will be a key aspect of reducing drivers of deforestation in Ngea village. We have also begun to introduce the concept of biodiversity monitoring, setting up systems where community members can assist in monitoring changes in biodiversity over time.
More about Ngea Village
Ngea has a population of roughly 540 people. It is easily accessible to the main road leading to Liwale District and it is also close to Mitaurure Forest Reserve, which is why it has a high wildlife presence. It also contains the Maliwe dam, which is an important breeding site for hippos, crocodile and fish.
Similar to most of the villages MCDI works with, agriculture is the main source of income for most community members; however, they also rely on the surrounding forests for honey, timber and firewood and mushrooms.