Subsistence Strategies of Households in Robanda Village Adjacent to Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Since the early 1980s African countries have worked out new conservation policies which promote not only conservation of natural resources but also development of local welfare around the conservation areas. The study about local livelihood is one of the approaches to the issue. This paper sheds light on the relation between Serengeti National Park (SNP) and Robanda village in terms of subsistence strategies of households.The results of survey are summarized as follows: (1) Their crop harvest was not enough to supply food whole year and livestock keeping was insufficient to compensate it. Other income generating activities are essential for their livelihood. (2) Their income generating activities are divided into three types based on the sources of income. NP type and NP-village mixed type activities, which 40% of households engaged in, bring cash from SNP related organizations and individuals to the village. Then intra-village type activities have the function to distribute those cash to other households. (3) This situation has been realized by tourism development of SNP since 90s.The significant role for Robanda villager's livelihood is played by intra-village type activities. People who don't have any means to approach the SNP related income, especially women, have modified traditional activities, and revitalized cash flow. Through intra-village activities, the villagers are tied with SNP. Then, relationship between SNP and subsistence strategies of villagers would be diversified as villager's recognition to SNP have diversified

Agriculture · Business · Cash · Cash crop · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Livelihood · Livestock · National park · Socioeconomics · Subsistence agriculture · Welfare · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Forestry