Sustainable Management of
Natural Resources and Biodiversity
Background
Tanzania is among the countries with the greatest wealth
of natural habitats and natural resources worldwide,
including the UNESCO World Heritage sites Serengeti
National Park and Selous Game Reserve.
The natural ecosystems and the services they provide are
important for generating revenue as well as providing
food security, income and employment. However, while
nature tourism and visitor numbers to national parks are
making a growing contribution to Tanzania’s economic
development, the benefits for the poor rural population
living adjacent to these protected areas are limited and
awareness of sustainable ecosystem management and
biodiversity conservation is low. In addition, Tanzania
and other East African states are experiencing an
unprecedented spike in illegal poaching, threatening not
only wildlife conservation efforts, but also revenue from
tourism as well as peace and security in the region.
Approach
Against this background, Germany recently pledged
to help the Tanzanian Government manage its natural
resources sustainably and protect its biodiversity, thereby
fostering rural development and conserving ecosystems
of global importance. The programme comprises the
following elements:
S
ustainable Development of Northern Serengeti
Ecosystem: focus on investment in sustainable natural
resource management as well as social and economic
development of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro
districts along the eastern and western borders of the
National Park.
n S
elous Ecosystem Management Support Project:
continuation of the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor
project to contribute to the long-term protection of
the greater Selous Ecosystem by improving protected
area and community-based wildlife management.
n S
ustainable Management of Natural Resources:
complements the abovementioned investment
measures with capacity development at district and
national levels.
n
At local level the programme aims at improving
selected district administrations’ capacities in planning,
coordinating and managing natural resources. Measures
include strengthening community-based natural
resources management and benefit-sharing schemes,
improving social and economic village infrastructure and
feeder roads, improving protected area infrastructure,
equipment and management, including business
planning and benefit sharing.
At national level, support has been provided for the
establishment of the Tanzania Wildlife Authority as an
effective authority responsible for the conservation,
management and administration of wildlife resources.
Given the massive poaching crisis in Tanzania, Germany
has stepped up its efforts to support the fight against
poaching and illegal wildlife trading by i.a. financing
a surveillance aircraft as well as an elephant census in
Selous, and by funding security plans for Serengeti and
Selous.
The main partners are the Ministry of Natural Resources
and Tourism and the Tanzania National Parks Authority,
selected district administrations and community-based
organisations within the Serengeti and Selous ecosystems
such as the Frankfurt Zoological Society.