Go, pick that ‘low hanging fruits’ in conservation

TANZANIA: OVER the last few decades, Tanzania has lost at least one-third of its ecosystems and seen its number of threatened species triple.

This represents a huge impact in the country, which is highly reliant on tourism for economic growth and development of its people.

Approximately 25 per cent of the country’s foreign income comes directly from tourism the majority of which is wildlife-based.

Tourism sector’s contribution to the GDP currently stands at 17 per cent, a significant figure worth to be highly protected to keep on an upward trajectory.

Unfortunately, at the current rate of species decline, the impact on economic stability is expected to be significant if not quickly addressed.

To address the existing gap in checking human wildlife conflicts, poaching, deforestation and degradation of habitat is not solely the government responsibility but it requires involvement of the private sector as well.

According to the experts, private sector’s effective engagement in efforts to conserve biodiversity in Tanzania is crucial in addressing human – wildlife conflicts, poaching, deforestation and degradation of habitat.

They argued that private sector and local communities living within or close to the wildlife connectivity areas have not fully been engaged to exploit and reap the benefits of huge opportunities being brought about by wildlife presence in their areas.

Dr Elikana Kalumanga, Private Sector Engagement Manager- RTI, a US Agency for International Development (USAID) Contractor, implementing the Tuhifadhi Maliasili Project, highlighted the crucial role of private sector to conserve biodiversity in Tanzania.

He said for the effectiveness of conserving the biodiversity as well as resolving human- wildlife conflicts, the tone of messages must be changed, saying, instead of focusing much on the impact of engaging in conservation activities, the message ought to deliberately promote dependency and opportunities available due to presence of wildlife.

“The message should also carry with it, risks that the country could face in case of habitat loss due to among others, destruction, fragmentation, or degradation of wildlife habitat,” he said.

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Dr Kalumanga said promoting dependency and opportunities in the wildlife sub sector will certainly attract more investors in the country.

“It is imperative our people, especially the local communities living closer to wildlife connectivity areas to be encouraged to take advantage of the ‘low hanging fruits’ in their areas.

For these communities, they don’t need to invest much …they just need to have quality lavatories and allocate areas that tents could be set up for tourists to explore real village life adventure within their localities,” he told editors in Bagamoyo recently, during a two-day meeting organised by the Journalists’ Environmental Association of Tanzania (JET) on Climate Change and Public Private Partnership (PPP) Reporting.

He further said that the communities could as well promote cultural tourism, to attract visitors (tourists in this case) in their areas.

He said this will in turn, bring to them (local communities) much needed financial gains that could be used to purchase food and other necessities, especially in events where wild animals have destroyed their farms.

“Capitalise and turn human- wildlife conflict into an opportunity to invest in tourism sector as part of the solution. By doing this, villagers will begin to encourage wildlife to roam in their areas, instead of battling against them,” said Dr Kalumanga.

He said various initiatives and efforts are being made to educate the public especially those living within or close to wildlife connectivity areas to learn how to co-exist with wild animals.

To support such initiatives, on October 28th, 2021, the United States government, through USAID, launched a five-year conservation project to address the dynamics that threaten wildlife movement and the long-term preservation of biodiversity in Tanzania.

Implemented to the tune of 30.5 million US dollars, the project aims at addressing threats to animal movement and biodiversity in Tanzania.

The activity, called USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili (“Preserve Natural Resources”), is implemented by Research Triangle Institute International, a nonprofit research and global development institute According to Dr Kalumanga, USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili (Preserve Natural Resources) is designed to address dynamics that hinder habitat connectivity and the preservation of Tanzania’s biodiversity.

The objective is to increase private sector engagement in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management as well as improve the policy, regulatory, and enabling environments for biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.

Among other, the project leverages, financial and market linkages, provide expertise in Natural Resource Management (NRM), as well as providing expertise in emerging techniques in efforts to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (CWT).

It also seeks to supporting community projects through Public Private Partnership (PPP), with much focus on market-based solutions and co-designing projects in communities; such as USAID-funded Nyerere Selous Udzungwa (NSU) corridor restoration.

Some of the activities being conducted include effective protection of habitats and species in Kwakuchinja corridor, monitoring of species to guide effective management.

It also working to reducing huma- wildlife conflicts through the support of human-wildlife coexistence, promoting sustainable livestock keeping in Kwakuchinja corridor with projects such as pasture management – Saravu Farm LTD “We are also promoting sustainable spice farming practices in Amani- Nilo corridor.

This is a spice nursey management – organic farming, support financial inclusion and offer financial literacy trainings/entrepreneurship in Kwakuchinja corridor through CRDB Bank-Imbeju programme,” said Dr Kalumanga.

Other areas of focus according to Dr Kalumanga is on supporting market linkages in areas of connectivity, increased income, diversified livelihood options and improved livelihood as well as promoting sustainable beekeeping practices in areas of connectivity to increase production, quality and income from international markets.

The programme is also focusing on creating awareness on biodiversity conservation, increased community participation in corridors management and diversifying livelihood options. Since the programme launch, there has been a significant improvement in terms of campaigns and commitment of both public and private sectors to conserve environment.

In fact, the government has been actively supporting such initiatives with core objective of protecting nature and conserving the country’s biodiversity.

Recently, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ms Angellah Kairuki reaffirmed the government’s steadfast dedication to the conservation of environment.

“In the course of exercising this superlative role, we shall leave no stone unturned while working with other countries in the region, development partners, and other relevant stakeholders in pursuit of excellence for the good of our region and its esteemed people,” she said.

Tanzania was also implementing different strategies towards sustainable conservation of wildlife resources including National Anti-Poaching Strategy; National Wildlife Management Areas Strategy; National Human Wildlife Conflict Management Strategy and Tanzania Wildlife Corridors Assessment Prioritisation and Action Plan, according to Ms Kairuki.

“These are some of our key enabling conservation initiatives in forestry and wildlife, therefore to invite different stakeholders to join our efforts in achievement sustainable management of these precious God given resources,” she explained.

However, despite the vast endowment of natural resources, Tanzania was still grappling with a number conservation challenges, according to Ms Kairuki.

They include deforestation, desertification and land degradation; proliferation of invasive species; fragmentation of ecosystems; human- wildlife conflict, poaching and rampant bushfires.

Such challenges have been exacerbated by the impacts of climate change which indiscriminately impact the region whose contribution to this challenge is minimal, said the Minister.

“In addressing these challenges, our country has put in place several policy and strategic interventions to conserve forest and wildlife resources with a view to enhance their resilience and sustain the livelihood of our communities,” the Minister assured.

And, at the meeting in Bagamoyo, it was emphasised that the media ought to play its significant role in conserving the biodiversity in the country.

It was also insisted that the media should be in a forefront in conveying messages that could attract people to set up investments in biodiversity conservation, to protects plant, animal, microbial and genetic resources for food production, agriculture, and ecosystem functions such as fertilising the soil, recycling nutrients, regulating pests and disease, controlling erosion, and pollinating crops and trees.

However, this would require editors and senior writers to have pre-requisite nurturing skills to train young journalists in a specific area of specialisation.

Executive Director of the Tanzania Media Foundation (TMF) Mr Dastan Kamanzi said it is pity that in the current situation, most newsrooms are facing acute shortage of editors with nurturing skills, arguing that such has an adverse impact in promoting Public Interest Journalism (PIJ) in newsrooms.