Tanzania is one of the prime wildlife countries in Africa. Approx. 19 % of the country is protected as national parks or game and forest reserves, and wildlife still occurs in significant numbers outside these protected areas. It is estimated that 90 % of the tourism to Tanzania is wildlife-based. Tourism is presently the fastest growing industry in the country and the second largest foreign exchange earner. At the same time wildlife is of considerable importance to the rural population, either as a threat to life and property or as a source of illegal protein supply.
German Assistance to the Wildlife Sector in Tanzania Conservation of natural resources and protection of the environment and biodiversity are priorities of German development policy. Support to the natural resources sector is one of three focal points for GTZ in Tanzania.
In the center of the German contribution are the people, who are sharing their land with wildlife. It will be impossible to maintain these protected areas for the future without involving the population living around them in conservation activities. In order to be successful, conservation has to be practiced 'with' and 'through' the people and not against them.
Objectives of the German Contribution to the Wildlife Sector in Tanzania:
* The biological diversity in important wildlife ecosystems, in particular Selous, Saadani, Katavi-Rukwa and Kagera, is secured * Benefits are yielded for the local communities and the nation on a sustainable basis * Communities countrywide manage and conserve natural resources on their land
The GTZ-projects support the relevant aims of the Agenda 21, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the World Conservation Strategy and the Resolution on sustainable use of wildliving resources of the 2nd IUCN World Conservation Congress "Ecospace".
