Beekeeping as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development and Forest Preservation in Mpimbwe Wildlife Management Area (WMA).

In the ongoing battle against poverty and environmental degradation, beekeeping can be a highly impactful tool. We will be advancing on a project established by our partners, LCMO and Nomad Tanzania, who established a network of 25 beekeepers in Mpimbwe WMA. Recognized as a crucial buffer between Katavi National Park and the southern villages, Mpimbwe WMA faces severe challenges from timber extraction, farming, and illegal livestock herding, leading to rapid transformation and deforestation.

To counteract this alarming trend, LCMO and Wild Survivors will scale the beekeeping programme to reach villages in the WMA to strategically engage a broader network of farmers in this forest-friendly livelihood. The primary objective is to establish a sustainable economic alternative while mitigating land degradation in the area.

The beekeeping network will receive comprehensive training encompassing alley aspects of beekeeping—from materials and equipment to apiary establishment, hive inspection, pest and disease management, honey harvesting, processing, wax processing, packaging, record-keeping, and marketing. Furthermore, the beekeeping group will consist of farmers who are struggling with elephant crop-raiding. Through their new skillset and with support from Wild Survivors and LCMO, the communities can install strategically positioned beehive fences around farm boundaries, proven to deter elephants, and help guide them back safely to their natural migration routes through this critically important connected landscape of protected areas.

Situated amidst Miombo woodlands, ideal for bee foraging, and enriched with a rich history of beekeeping, Mpimbwe provides an ideal setting for this initiative. By promoting beekeeping, we empower local farmers to diversify their income, preserve the declining bee population, and contribute to nature conservation. Farmers willingly allocate sections of their forested areas for beekeeping, creating conserved zones that also serve as a sustainable source of firewood for local families, reducing dependence on dwindling resources from Mpimbwe WMA