Conservation and development projects

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.

“Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries and approaches to stimulate action”, first appeared as an agenda item in December 2005, at the 11th session of the Conference of Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP 11) in Montréal.

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With a US$1 million support from the Global Environment Facility/UNDP the Government of Tanzania initiated the conservation of the corridor in 2005. The project "Development and Management of the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor" will extend community based natural resources management from the southern support-zone of the Selous Game Reserve towards the border with Mozambique. Villages in Namtumbo and Tunduru Districts will be able to establish a network of WMA linking the Selous and Niassa Game Reserves.

Forest-dependent communities in Tanzania are amongst the poorest in the world. Remote, isolated, poor transport - jobs are hard to find. Instead, people earn their living primarily from the land and its resources. The African blackwood tree is harvested and the wood is used locally for making ornamental carvings or exported to be made into musical instruments. The leaves are used in traditional medicine, especially in childbirth.