Browsing by Author "Mabele, Mathew Bukhi"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Disrupting the epistemic empire is necessary for a decolonial ecology
    (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2023) Mabele, Mathew Bukhi; Kiwango, Wilhelm Andrew; Mwanyoka, Iddi
    Guedes et al.1 argue that eponyms in biological nomenclature represent epistemic injustices that perpetuate the negative legacies of imperialism and colonialism in the fields of taxonomy, ecology and conservation science. We believe that their argument and proposal underscore the ongoing discussion on the need to decolonize ecology and conservation science, as Western science and expertise continue to be privileged over others2,3,4,5. This privilege is built on an epistemological and ontological failure to recognize “the different ways through which diverse people across the human globe make sense and provide meaning to their existence”6. Guedes and colleagues’ argument suggests that eponyms are part of the epistemic empire, which is bound to be biased against non-Western knowledge systems.
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    Going back to the roots: ubuntu and just conservation in southern Africa
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2022) Mabele, Mathew Bukhi; Krauss, Judith E; Kiwango, Wilhelm
    Given growing human influence on the earth system's functioning, caring for nature has never been this critical. However, whether for economic interests or ‘wilderness’ preservation, attempts to save nature have been grounded on a Western scientific philosophy of separating it from people's ways of living, especially through ‘protected areas'. Under the banner ‘convivial conservation', which advocates socio-ecological justice and structural transformations in the global economic system, an alternative idea called ‘promoted areas’ has been proposed, advocating for conservation which promotes nature for, to, and by humans. Here, we argue that ‘promoted areas’ are best fitted with decolonial thinking in conservation science and practice. In southern Africa, one available ‘decolonial option’ is Ubuntu philosophy, which is anchored on the ethical principle of promoting life through mutual caring and sharing between and among humans and nonhumans. Ubuntu disengages from western ways of knowing about human–environment interactions, as it is predicated on promoting the many links between humans and nonhumans. From this, we argue that instituted through Ubuntu, ‘promoted areas’ re-initiate a harmony between human beings and physical nature, as practices of individualistic, excessive extractions of nonhuman nature are discouraged, and human–nonhuman relationships based on respect, solidarity, and collaboration are celebrated.
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    Green transformations, charcoal and social justice in rural east-central Tanzania
    (STEPS Centre, 2019) Mabele, Mathew Bukhi
    Over the last 30 years, Tanzania has taken different policy approaches towards the conservation of forests. Intriguingly, from the earlier integrated conservation and development approach to the ‘newer’ green economy, the idea that providing livelihood benefits is a key strategy for achieving conservation effectiveness has dominated. This one-dimensional conception of what ‘local people’ value and why precludes a clear understanding of substantive social justice considerations – what is being contested, why and by whom – when conflicts arise in policy implementation settings. Using a green economy project that addresses charcoal-driven forest loss in Kilosa, the paper examines a conflict between forest conservation and farming, and studies the variegated notions of justice that farmers express in relation to the conflict. The paper builds upon a developing strand in the political ecology literature, that of empirical analyses of rural people’s conceptions of justice in environmental conservation, to demonstrate the analytical and practical values of a multidimensional justice framework. Its main contribution lies in illustrating how the framework can help to assess and reframe environmental interventions, going beyond one-dimensional conceptions, to focus attention on the diverse ways in which justice can be recognised or denied, at different levels and in different ways, for different groups of people. Particularly, it highlights that context matters, as despite the distributional ‘success’ of the project, disregarded concerns over procedural dimensions and the recognition of justice led to farmer evictions, covert resistance and continued struggles over land compensation. This paper therefore underlines that being attentive to a range of justice dimensions can reveal locally valued and contested aspects of conservation, and can guide more equitable and more just environmental conservation.
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    In pursuit of multidimensional justice: Lessons from a charcoal ‘greening’ project in Tanzania
    (SAGE, 2019) Mabele, Mathew Bukhi
    Over the last 30 years, Tanzania has adopted different policy approaches to conserve forests. However, the idea that providing livelihood benefits is a key strategy for achieving conservation effectiveness has persisted throughout the shift from earlier integrated conservation and development approach to the ‘newer’ green economy. This one-dimensional conception of what ‘local people’ value and why precludes a clear understanding of substantive social justice considerations – what is being contested, why, and by whom – when conflicts arise in policy implementation settings. Using a green economy project that addresses charcoal-driven forest loss in Kilosa, the paper examines a conflict between forest conservation and farming and studies the variegated notions of justice that farmers express in relation to the conflict. The paper builds upon a developing strand in the political ecology literature, namely of empirical analyses of rural people’s justice conceptions in environmental conservation, to demonstrate analytic and practical values of a multidimensional justice framework. It illustrates how the framework can help to assess and reframe environmental interventions, going beyond one-dimensional conceptions, to focus attention on the diverse ways in which justice can be recognised or denied at different levels and in different ways for different groups of people. Particularly, it highlights that context matters, as despite the distributional ‘success’ of the project, disregarded concerns over procedural and recognition justice dimensions led to farmers’ loss of land, covert resistance, and continued struggles over compensations. This paper, therefore, argues that being attentive to a range of justice dimensions can expose locally valued and contested conservation aspects, as well as guide more just environmental conservation.
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    The ‘war on charcoal’ and its paradoxes for Tanzania's conservation and development
    (ELSEVIER, 2020) Mabele, Mathew Bukhi
    Charcoal production in the miombo woodlands has motivated policy debates over the years in central, eastern and southern Africa. Forestry ideals with colonial origins downplay the value of charcoal production and other local uses of forest resources, while current policy largely condemns the environmental effects of charcoal production. Current policies create a paradox whereby the government bans charcoal while earning revenues from it. At the same time, NGO-led initiatives promise sustainable charcoal production. This paper analyses the current policy measures, showing that they are simplified responses to the complex interplay between economic development, charcoal use and miombo woodlands. The paper argues that a holistic context that includes sustainable management of the miombo, and consideration of the livelihoods of its residents, offers a richer perspective than do simplified state responses that ultimately create unsustainable and paradoxical policies. Policies that combine concerns for both woodland conservation and economic development would not only allow but enable and promote sustainable charcoal production.