The Impact of Migration of People on Natural Resources in Ruvuma River Valley, in Ruvuma Region

This study focused on the impact of migration of people on natural resources in Ruvuma River Valley. The study assesses the causes and effects of migration on natural resources and suggested measures to avoid the environmental degradation. The increasing of population leads to high demand of natural resources in the study area. The study confirmed that there are significant association between migration of people and natural resources degradation. Migration is associated with the habit of setting bush fire, deforestation, the practice of mono culture for a long time which caused soil exhaustion, cultivating on the river banks causing erosion and the use of non-appropriated mesh net for fishing causing the decrease of fishes. 97% of the Ruvuma River valley habitants confirm that the natural resource available is forest and green pastures, 95% said fertile land, 89% said rivers and ponds, 67% talked about fishes. In this study 66 respondents were used. Data collection methods used in the study comprised review of secondary data, administering of questionnaires, focus group discussions and direct observation. Ms Excel and SPSS were used for data analysis. The study revealed that migration had caused the deforestation, soil exhaustion because of monoculture practice and bush fire practice. Also, the decrease of the quantity of fish in the river, the shifting cultivation to the river banks as well as soil erosion. The suggested solutions to the effects of migration on natural resource were: to avoid deforestation, to improve the level of awareness of people on the effects of migration on natural resources and the enforcement of laws and regulations on natural resources management