This study aimed to understand how governance of natural resources works at local and district levels in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, in order to strengthen collaboration among the different actors involved and levels of governance. The study was part of the global research and development project, ‘Integrating Livelihoods and Multiple Biodiversity Values in Landscape Mosaics’.

The findings suggest that in this landscape, the existing formal governance framework provides a relatively conducive setting for promoting negotiated, collaborative landscape governance, especially at the village level. In spite of the positive experiences gained during the Landscape Mosaics project regarding involvement of local people in efforts to improve natural resource management, the sustainability of these activities and the scope of impacts remain to be seen, being conditioned by several other factors. We also identify challenges to collaborative landscape management in the existing governance structures, including inadequate funding and capacity within the agencies supposed to coordinate and facilitate natural resource management in this landscape.