Why the mission to Restore wildlife connectivity routes in Tanzania must involve local communities
Conservation experts gathering in Arusha are pointing of the importance important to take into consideration the involvement of local communities in reviving and securing wildlife connectivity.
Presenting the guidelines to secure wildlife connectivity, the Chief Research Officer from the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Dr Stephen Nindi pointed insisted that People Centered and Multi – Disciplinary approach are paramount in securing and sustaining wildlife connectivity for people and wild animals.
Dr Nindi was presenting expert guidelines to participants of the ongoing Second Annual National Wildlife Corridor Forum, taking place in Arusha as follow up to the Maiden event held in Dar es Salaam in 2023.
“We cannot override the communities in matters of conservation as this is a mission whose success relies on participatory approach,” said Dr Nindi.
The Wildlife Researcher pointed out the importance of taking into consideration issues related to population dynamics and climate.
And to get the goodwill of the members of the communities in areas of conservation, according to the expert, there is also the need to identify livelihood activities being undertaken by members of the community.
“At this juncture, the restoration of wildlife connectivity passages the proposed participatory approach should also go in sync with supporting environment friendly, community-based enterprises, through which, villagers can benefit from conservation activities, such as Wildlife Management Areas,” he pointed out.
It was also discussed during the forum, that some of the wildlife corridors usually transverse through more than one village and sometimes transcending district and regional borders, thus calling for joint community and authority efforts in their restorations.
At present in the second Annual National Wildlife Corridors Forum are stakeholders in the Tanzania Conservation sectors, including The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, with all its organs, including Tanzania National Parks, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Tanzania Forest Services, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Tanzania Wildlife Authority.
There is also the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Tanzania, through the USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili Project, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Asilia, the Germany International Cooperation Society (GIZ), Africa Wildlife Foundation (AWF) World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), Tanzania Nature Resource Forum (TNRF) and Chem-Chem Association.
The Project Manager from the Tanzania Nature Resource Forum (TNRF) Johannes Solar, explained that stakeholders are reviewing the 2018 government proposed action plan for reclaiming and restoring wildlife corridors and making amendments shortcomings were discovered in its implementations.
Contributing at the National Forum, various experts encouraged formulation of Joint Village Land Use Agreements in areas of operations.
In addition, the experts called for establishment of standing committees at Village, Ward, District and Regional levels.
The other thing which came up for discussion was the presence of immovable facilities located on the wildlife connectivity routes such as Factories, Institutions like schools, as well as stationery infrastructures like roads and railway lines.
“Here alternative approaches can be applied such as the introduction of underpasses and overpasses crossing highways and railways.
They cited the examples of the Kilombero road elephant underpass which is functioning successfully as well as the ongoing efforts to clear wildlife passages underneath the Standard Gauge Railways (SGR) whose construction is ongoing.