Development and Tourism
Today, the population of the Usambaras has one of the highest growth rates (about 4% compared to the national average of 2.1%), a staggering amount of poverty and highest densities of people in all of Tanzania (R. Matthews 2009). Most of the inhabitants are subsistence farmers who rely heavily on the forests around them for timber, medicinal plants, clearing for agriculture, and fuel wood (S. Kiparo 2009). Furthermore 70% of the original forest cover of the West and East Usambaras has been lost (Doggart et al. 2005). Major land and forest degradation remain a pressing issue.
However, there are still many places that attract tourists looking for an adventure off the beaten path. These include the bustling trade town of Lushoto, the once popular German resort Amani Nature Reserve and farm, and Mazumbai University Forest, which is considered the last example of a pristine forest in the East Usambaras.
Read more about this topic: Usambara Mountains
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