Pre-Colonial Environmental Conservation: Strategies and Practices among the Sukuma of Tanzania

This paper aims to investigate the traditional methods of environmental conservation in Morogoro and Shinyanga regions. A review of conservation tactics, traditional conservation education, and practices in pre-colonial communities was the primary objective of the paper. The paper’s methodology involves a critical engagement with past African historiographic traditions and a deliberate attempt to combat negative perceptions and misrepresentations about Tanzania environmental history in particular as well as Africa in general. Personal experience, introspection, life stories, interviews, historical observations, interactive, and visual texts that depict ordinary and troublesome events and meanings in people’s lives were all gathered as part of this methodology. According to the indicated research theme, data analysis was conducted. Every theme was extended to create a comprehensive section. Findings revealed that, there is proof that pre-colonial societies in Shinyanga and Morogoro were the first to obtain and utilize natural resources. Hence, this demonstrated the endeavor to maintain equilibrium between their environments and practices. It was discovered that interactions between humans and nature were a part of pre-colonial environmental conservation efforts. It developed methods for preserving nature while ensuring access to it, rather than establishing distinct conservation categories. It was concluded in the paper that the interaction between humans and nature was a crucial factor in pre-colonial environmental conservation based on forest, wildlife and soil. However, policies, religious customs, and practices may have limited their access to and use of their environments in order to reflect pre-colonial society’s existing stratification and other inequities. It was recommended that environmental conservation researchers and historians should reexamine and investigate the organizational models and narratives that support more significant local participation in environmental management. The local communities’ status regarding the ownership of environmental resources could be redefined.