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Tanzania
HIGHLIGHTS
Total Area
· 945,166 km2
WCS Involvement
· Since 1956
Goals:
· To help conserve key species and landscapes using science, education and a field focus
· To provide training and support to national institutions and individuals
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Photo © T. Davenport |
Main Partners
· Tanzania National Parks
· Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute
· Wildlife Division
· Forestry & Beekeeping Division
· Local government and communities
· National and international environmental NGOs
Contacts
Tim Davenport, PhD
Director, Tanzania Program
PO Box 1475
Mbeya, Tanzania
tdavenport@wcs.org
Support this Project!
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Photo © S.Durant |
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WCS in Tanzania
Tanzania has unparalleled wildlife, environment and natural resources. Perched on the crossroads of many of the extensive biomes that cover Africa, it also boasts the highest and lowest points on the continent; the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the bottom of Lake Tanganyika. Whilst recognized for its unmatched concentrations of large herbivores, the remarkable diversity of habitats from coral reefs to montane forests all combine to make Tanzania a ‘megadiversity’ country.
WCS has been working in Tanzania for 50 years to help safeguard this unique global heritage. More than 130 projects have been supported, encompassing training, research, monitoring, institutional support, education, and the gazettement and extension of Tarangire, Ruaha, Serengeti and Kitulo National Parks. WCS still employs its traditional strengths including a focus on fieldwork, strong science, and robust community and government partnerships. But at the same time, there are always new challenges to be met, such as those associated with climate change.
WCS recognizes the intrinsic link between the environment and sustainable development, and that species, ecosystems and landscapes must be managed by maintaining an equilibrium between human and conservation needs. Rural communities around protected areas need support in the management of natural resources, so that they can receive benefits from conservation, protect water and fuel supplies and better manage human-animal conflicts. WCS in Tanzania is helping to develop community-based initiatives through which local people will benefit from key habitats, and thus have an interest in their long-term survival and integrity. WCS is equally committed to supporting government and non-government institutions manage and monitor key landscapes and species.
There are many issues that affect conservation in Tanzania. These include poverty, education challenges, human and wildlife health concerns, population growth, sustainable development pressures, limited land use planning at a landscape level, and modest technical and financial resources. WCS strives to engage these key issues in its conservation work, all with a view to helping Tanzania conserve its extraordinary wildlife and wild lands.
WCS Activities
The WCS Tanzania Program employs 70 Tanzanian and 6 expatriate staff and has regional offices in Arusha, Iringa, Mbeya and Zanzibar. There are currently 4 site-based projects; in the Southern Highlands, the Tarangire-Simanjiro Ecosystem, the Ruaha Landscape and Zanzibar Forests, as well as research projects nationwide including Serengeti, Rukwa and the Indian Ocean reefs. WCS also supports the Tanzanian Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), the Tanzanian Natural Resources Forum (TNRF), the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCST), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) and the Division of Forestry and Beekeeping (FBD).
The Southern Highlands Conservation Program – based in Mbeya – helps conserve key upland habitats (e.g. Mt Rungwe, Kitulo, Livingstones, Mbizi, Mporoto, Loasi) and endangered species (e.g. Abbott’s duiker, the kipunji, orchids, chimpanzees, carnivores) across Tanzania’s Southern Highlands between Lakes Nyasa (Malawi) and Tanganyika. This is achieved through a variety of research, protected area management, education, and community conservation initiatives. The Tarangire Elephant Project – based in Tarangire and Arusha - uses research and capacity building to ensure that local communities, TANAPA and other stakeholders have the information and resources needed to sustainably manage and benefit from the Tarangire-Simanjiro Ecosystem. The project also aims to assure the conservation of its ecological processes and key wildlife migration routes. Meanwhile, the National Elephant Conservation Project is a new initiative that aims to understand the status of elephant populations across Tanzania.
The Ruaha Landscape Program – based in Iringa - works at the landscape level with local communities, TANAPA, the Wildlife Division, local authorities, and national and international institutions. The program is particularly involved in Wildlife Management Area support, community development, water sustainability, wildlife health and research.
The Tanzania Carnivore Conservation Program – based at TAWIRI in Arusha - works to establish national capacity to monitor carnivore distribution and abundance, identify and respond to critical threats, and promote conservation strategies to protect healthy, ecologically intact ecosystems. Evolving from the Cheetah Project, it is a component of the new Tanzania Mammal Atlas Project which documents and provide conservation strategies for all the country’s larger mammals, as well as providing training and support to TAWIRI.
The Zanzibar Forest Conservation Project – based in Jozani, Zanzibar – began as a research project on the endemic red colobus monkey. It now works alongside the Zanzibar government and conservation partners developing management strategies for Zanzibar’s unique coastal forests, as well as training local communities to monitor their wildlife and habitats themselves.
The GIS and Remote Sensing Project supports WCS and partners with spatial analysis at the local, regional and national levels. Current activities include protected area fire management, invasive species and habitat monitoring, and landscape connectivity analysis. The project has a strong emphasis on developing in-country spatial analysis skills, and training.
In addition, WCS in Tanzania has an Aerial Services Program, a Postgraduate Scholarship Program, a developing National Corridor Conservation Project and supports international institutions such as The Chicago Field Museum (US), Museo Tridentino di Scienzi Naturali, the Zoological Society of London (UK) and the Missouri Botanical Garden (US).
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Gloriosa superba / Biologist Sophy Machaga / Kipunji (Rungwecebus kipunji) discovered on Mt Rungwe by WCS Photos © T.Davenport |
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