This article establishes existing knowledge on earthquakes and coping mechanisms employed in reducing the severity of adverse impacts caused by an earthquake disaster in a specific locality. The purpose of the study was to recommend useful measures for disaster risk management. It also more particularly aimed at assessing mechanisms employed in reducing the disaster risk and integrating knowledge of disasters and hazards in primary and secondary school curricula. The study was carried out in Rungwe Volcanic Province in Rungwe District, Tanzania, and included recording people’s attitudes towards earthquake disaster and locations of schools. It employed focus group discussions, public hearings and interviews in order to capture the actual situation relating to risk and vulnerability assessments by the community. The study revealed high levels of risk and vulnerability to the impact of earthquakes on the part of the community, who accepted earthquakes as a normal phenomenon and therefore did not employ special measures to reduce the impact. The study showed that the community’s coping mechanisms and the extent to which disaster management knowledge has been integrated in school curricula are inadequate in addressing earthquake disasters. It is thus recommended that traditional and modern technologies be integrated in curricula and later in sustainable practices; such technologies include the belief in ‘Nyifwila’, traditional housing style and wooden housing, and non-structural planning for disaster risk management

Education is important for human development. It is a basic human right as articulated in the Constitution of United Republic of Tanzania of 1977. Since then, a series of reforms for improving access, quality and relevant education were adopted in the country. This study evaluates the relevance and quality of social science textbooks used in primary education. The study critically reviews primary education social sciences books. I argue that there were varieties of social studies textbooks and supplementary books used in primary education. These textbooks vary in terms of content, illustration, language and methodology. There is no harmony of content, while some textbooks had wrong contents altogether. Although teachers and learners benefited from using these textbooks, lack of content harmonisation deterred the effectiveness of achieving instructional and national objectives. The study recommends that a review and harmonisation of textbooks be undertaken, in order to attain the required national agenda.

This paper assesses land resource in Tanzania in relation to ownership, access and control for livelihood and development. The ownership of state and resources impacts the community stability and development. The paper employs political ecology approach to analyze the state of art in relation to land. In-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussions and Literature review were employed to establish historical trend in relation to conflicts and contradictions that exist in resource management. The paper advances that, since 1895, Tanzania has undergone a number of land reforms. Since then, principles of land tenure have not changed. This resulted to conflicts over land which occurs in different forms and scale. After independence, land was dispossessed in the name of national/or public interest to establish National Parks, agricultural projects and other projects that did not respond to internal demands. After the failure of the projects such land was not returned to the users. Moreover, Tanzania has formulated a number of laws to facilitate accumulation. These include commodification of land that raised its demand hence second scramble. About 16 Acts were enacted annually since 1990 to fulfil the demand that caused the rise of the question whose state. Both Tanzania and Mozambique inherited colonial systems of natural resource management and ownership which continue to inform the current practice. The state apparatuses are the agents of accumulation. The situation will be tense in future if not addressed now.

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This paper examines impact of Road Accidents on community socio-economic activities in Iringa municipality. It assumes that accident as any disaster adversely affects people, property and environment. The paper employed questionnaire, interview, observation and documentary search for data collection. The study found that road accidents on-site conditions were caused by poor infrastructure, overloading of vehicles, law impunity, inadequacy of relevant laws, corruption, negligence of drivers, lack of road safety education and road traffic signs. Road accidents caused loss of lives, increase of dependence, destruction of property, increase of poverty, injuries and permanent disabilities. Provision of training to drivers, serious enforcement of the laws, provision of education to road users through public agitations, posters and television broadcasts, introduction of ad hoc inspection of road quality and transport facilities were some of the techniques used to curb the risk. Generally, road accidents caused a great loss of human, physical and natural resources. The intervention is on on-site conditions while very little attention is put on the root causes. It is recommended that, in addressing this human induced disaster the government in collaborations with other stakeholders should focus on the root causes in a participatory manner to bring community equity hence sustainable development.