How do institutional frameworks influence socio-ecological systems? The case of natural gas development in Mtwara region, Tanzania

This study investigates the crucial influence of institutional frameworks in shaping the resilience of Social-Ecological Systems (SES), focusing on the challenges and opportunities arising from natural gas development in Tanzania's Coastal Area. Despite the economic promise of natural gas discovery and exploitation, managing associated environmental and societal impacts remains a significant challenge. The study uses qualitative methods (key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations) and quantitative data (household questionnaire survey) to analyze governance, institutional capacity, resilience, sustainability, coping mechanisms, and coastal resources management. Applying thematic content analysis to qualitative data identifies critical factors in governance, institutional capacity, relationships among resilience, sustainability, coping mechanisms, and coastal resources management. The study utilized SPSS 20 for quantitative data analysis, incorporating descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. The findings emphasize governance systems' critical role in promoting societal well-being and resilience to social-ecological changes. Nevertheless, the identified limitations in addressing environmental concerns, including fostering community involvement and ensuring transparency, highlight the need to increase levels of participation from local communities in inclusive and participatory decision-making in project areas. Transparent communication, access to information, and capacity building emerge as crucial for building trust and garnering support. Recommendations include advocating inclusivity, safeguarding local institutions, crafting adaptive governance systems, emphasizing the importance of responsiveness to emerging issues, and robust monitoring and evaluation systems. Concrete natural resource management, particularly in natural gas development, is deemed vital to ensure equitable resource allocation, rectify disparities, and enhance sustainability for the SES in the Coastal Area. This study serves as a guiding framework for regions facing similar resource development challenges, emphasizing the imperative of environmental sustainability for a prosperous future.