Local community engagement, governance, and sustainability in marine resource management: Evidence from Tanzania

https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.1.6

Authors

  • Luzabeth Jackson Kitali Kivukoni Campus - Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy, Tanzania

Keywords:

Community Engagement, Governance, Marine Sustainability, Tanzania

Abstract

Marine resources and coastal ecosystems support the livelihoods of billions of people in developing countries. To ensure the sustainability of marine resources, it is imperative to understand local community awareness of the governance instruments that regulate their utilization. The present study explored the actors responsible for the management and conservation of marine resources, investigated governance instruments used, and identified the challenges encountered in marine resource utilization and management in Dar es Salaam. The study used a case study design and was guided by Ostrom's common pool resource theory. The study used a sample size of 223 respondents for quantitative data and 14 respondents for qualitative data, making a total of 237 participants. Respondents were selected from two wards of Ununio and Mbweni using simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Various tools were used in collecting the information, including the use of structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews and reviewing the relevant literature. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, discourse analysis, and thematic analysis, as well as a relative importance index using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 12. The findings obtained were presented using tables and descriptions organized across major themes. The results indicate that the local community asserts the existence of various governance instruments, which include policies, rules, regulations, traditions, and norms that govern the utilization of the marine resources. Furthermore, various actors were responsible for the management and conservation of the marine resources, including the government through its respective ministries, the Beach Management Unit, and the local community. Despite the efforts of marine resource actors, several challenges hindering the conservation and management of marine resources were identified, including inequitable sharing of coastal resources, inadequate stakeholder engagement in decision-making, and inadequate communication among key stakeholders. Thus, to enhance sustainable management and conservation of marine resources, the respondents call for the establishment of regular patrols and enhancement of the cooperation between B.M.U. and the local communities in managing marine resources.

Dimensions

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Published

2026-01-04

How to Cite

Kitali, L. J. (2026). Local community engagement, governance, and sustainability in marine resource management: Evidence from Tanzania. African Journal of Empirical Research, 7(1), 59–70. https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.1.6

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026): Jan-Mar 2026

Section

Articles
Copyright & Licensing

Copyright (c) 2026 Luzabeth Jackson Kitali

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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