Background:
About 43.7% of Tanzania's land area is under a level of protection, illustrating the country's commitment to biodiversity conservation. Currently, the government of Tanzania is also creating new protected areas and upgrading the protection status of existing ones. While there have been temptations to recentralize wildlife and forest management on village land, the government, through its policies, is still committed to promoting community-based natural resources management. With increased global recognition of the role of local communities in addressing the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, the government is likely to continue supporting Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM).
In southwestern Tanzania, conflict between communities and elephants poses a substantial conservation challenge. Farmers, residing near these protected areas, struggle with significant losses due to elephant crop-raiding and resulting conflict. The influx of agro-pastoral communities immigrating to the area has intensified these challenges, leading to alterations in land use, forest reserve encroachment and escalating crop destruction by elephants.
Landscape:
The Rukwa-Katavi ecosystem, spanning 92,500km², is an African wildlife and conservation stronghold, with unparalleled ecological intactness in eastern Africa. Elevated above 900m, featuring Miombo woodland and diverse watercourses, the landscape supports critical rivers, lakes, and diverse flora and fauna, hosting East Africa's largest elephant population and significant wildlife meta-populations. The area consists of village land and a network of various categories of protected areas, including national parks, game reserves, forest reserves, village land forest reserves (VLFRs), and community Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). About 75% of western Tanzania's land is under various protective designations. In some districts, up to 85% of the land falls under protected areas (Mpimbwe, Sikonge, Mlele), making this region a vital biodiversity hotspot. The government's efforts to establish more national parks and game reserves are meant to secure habitats but could also intensify human-wildlife conflicts.
Threats and Challenges:
Despite its ecological richness, the landscape faces significant threats. Poaching, though reduced, remains a concern, alongside illegal wildlife trade, fishing, logging, and mining. Unplanned habitat conversion for agriculture and charcoal production poses the most substantial threat, compromising elephant connectivity routes and impacting hydrological catchments. Human-wildlife conflict, exacerbated by poor land-use planning, further jeopardizes the delicate balance of the ecosystem.
The elephant population has increased by 14 percent in Tanzania from 43,000 in 2014 to 60,000 individuals in 2021. (AWF, 2022) . In the Rukwa-Katavi and Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystems, there are an estimated 22,000 elephants in the landscape (92,500 km2). In southern western Tanzania, and specifically the Rukwa-Katavi ecosystem, elephants are threatened by poaching, climate change, habitat degradation, and conversion and poison, all driven by an ever-increasing human population associated with the influx of the agro-pastoral communities from northwestern and central Tanzania. Thus, this collaborative Human-Elephant Coexistence Programme between the People, Lions and Environment (WASIMA) and Wild Survivors is designed to promote coexistence between people and elephants by reducing human-elephant conflict and promote habitat conservation within over 54 villages bordering Lwafi game reserve (2228.2 km²) and Katavi National park (4471km²), the core protected areas buffered by Mpimbwe WMA (230km²) in the Rukwa-Katavi ecosystem. The villages fall within six districts of Mpimbwe, Nsimbo, Tanganyika, Mlele in Katavi regions, and Nkasi (Rukwa Region).
Proposed Solutions:
Our collaborative project is a comprehensive, community-driven initiative to address these challenges. Partnering directly with villages bordering Katavi National Park, Luafi Game Reserve, and Mpwimbwe WMA, we propose a multi-layered approach. This includes establishing proven elephant deterrents such as beehive fences and chilli fences, implementing sustainable land-use planning, and community engagement in forest recovery and protection. Vital to our strategy is the development of alternative, sustainable livelihoods such as agroforestry, beekeeping, and regenerative agriculture. With local communities at the centre of these initiatives, we aim to foster coexistence, protect vital forest reserves, and promote economic activities that align with conservation goals.
Impact:
Preserving this biodiversity-rich landscape is not just about safeguarding wildlife; it's about securing essential ecosystem services for millions of Tanzanians. From water sources for domestic and agricultural needs to mitigating climate change and supporting the 'southern' tourism circuit, the project's impact encompasses both conservation of a critical ecosystem and socioeconomic stability and growth.
Join us in safeguarding Tanzania's rich ecological landscapes. Through sustainable practices, community engagement, and strategic interventions, we aim to ensure that this ecosystem thrives as a haven for wildlife and a source of prosperity for local communities, contributing to a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.