• Wildlife corridors serve to protect Tanzania’s megadiversity.
  • Tanzania has over 340 large mammals species that migrate annually.
  • Tourism contributes 17% of Tanzania’s GDP and more than 25% of foreign revenue.

Tanzania’s wildlife corridors are lifelines for the nation’s iconic biodiversity, ensuring the survival of some of the planet’s most magnificent species. Nestled in the tropics near the equator, Tanzania is a global biodiversity hotspot, boasting an extraordinary array of habitats, ecosystems, and climatic zones that support an unparalleled variety of life.

Home to over 340 species of large mammals, Tanzania’s landscapes teem with everything from forest dwellers to plains herbivores and the formidable carnivores that hunt them. This rich tapestry of wildlife, complemented by vibrant birdlife, embarks on annual migrations, weaving through established corridors that are crucial for maintaining ecological balance and protecting these majestic creatures. These migration paths are the blueprint for the creation and conservation of Tanzania’s vital wildlife corridors.

Determining and protecting these wildlife corridors is the duty of the nation’s government especially since wildlife is a major source of revenue through tourism which, according to the Tanzania Ministry of Tourism, contributes 17 per cent of the country’s GDP and more than 25 per cent of foreign revenue.

“This means that conservation of wildlife resources is key to economic development in Tanzania. To this end Tanzania has set aside 32.5 per cent of the land surface for wildlife conservation,” the ministry reports.

Protected areas

The area set aside for conservation comprises of National Parks, Game Reserves, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Game Controlled Areas, Ramsar Sites and Wildlife Management Areas. These protected areas and their associated landscapes are interconnected by the wildlife corridors and facilitate ecological and functional existence of wildlife.

“These wildlife protected areas are connected by corridors that allow wildlife movement and plant dispersion for the purpose of accessing key resources such as water, food, cover, breeding sites, geophagy, and security…it is vital for the government to maintain and restore critical wildlife corridors to sustain the incredible biodiversity,” the minister attests.

The wildlife corridors are essential links between different animal populations to ensure genetic viability and habitats through migration routes. Access to alternative feeding grounds can be a lifeline during altered weather conditions–exacerbated by climate change, and help mitigate human wildlife conflict such as crop raiding.

Wildlife corridors refer to the areas, usually long tracts of land, that are important for wildlife movement. While these are natural areas, conscious government action is needed to protect them from regular human development activities.

The creation of these corridors involves conducting a detailed assessment of the on-ground situation in each area as the basis and guidance to structuring plans of action to secure these corridors.

According to the ministry, the Tanzania wildlife corridors were created after an assessment team that consisted of representatives from the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) and US Agency for International Development (USAID) Promoting Tanzania’s Environment, Conservation, and Tourism (PROTECT) project, along with the Science and Collaboration for Connected Wildlands (SCW).

The most recent report on wildlife corridors in Tanzania follows extensive evaluation of previous corridor assessments using a set of 12 criteria for assessing and prioritizing the corridors, the report expounds.

“The assessment team applied the 12 stakeholder-endorsed criteria to prioritize all 61 corridors according to two independent rankings: Conservation Value and Vulnerability of the corridors,” notes Prof. Eliamani Sedoyeka from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.

Without these movement corridors, wildlife population growth would be affected for the mere lack of food but also, the movement prevents inbreeding and the annual migration allows for species survival and sustainability.

Worldlife corridors: Effective biodiversity conservation

According to the ministry, the creation of these wildlife corridors is the best-known technique for effective biodiversity conservation at a landscape level. However, the ministry also reports that, despite their importance, wildlife corridors are under threat from various human development activities including agriculture, human settlements, infrastructure development, encroachment and other human disturbances.

“Consequently, some wildlife protected areas are gradually being turned into ecological islands and they may eventually become cut off from each other. This will have dire consequences to the wildlife populations and on the long-term conservation efforts which Tanzania has invested for decades,” Prof. Sedoyeka explains.

Read alsoTanzania: The economics of wildlife corridors 

Protecting wildlife corridors in Tanzania

Due to these growing threats and based on the importance of corridors for sustainable conservation of wildlife resources, Tanzania has undertaken a national level assessment of its wildlife corridors and publicized a comprehensive Action Plan that serves as a tool for securing all the wildlife corridors in the country.

Creating a robust policy is necessary to support the systematic assessment and prioritization of wildlife corridors that are the key to maintaining and restoring Tanzania’s rich natural heritage.

“The Action Plan consists of a detailed assessment and analysis for corridors, priority based on ecological value and vulnerability and a plan for reclaiming and maintaining all the wildlife corridors across the country,” details the professor.

Announcing its commitment, the government has also called upon key stakeholders to support its implementation; they include USAID, that funds the PROTECT Project, TAWIRI, TANAPA and TAWA. The Action Plan is supported by legal backing of a national policy and legal framework that safeguards the sustainable existence of the protected landscapes and the associated corridors.

“The Ministry is also aware that many of the corridors are severely encroached to the extent that some are almost impassable by the wildlife that has been utilizing them,” said the government executive.

Prof. Sedoyeka , said the encroachment of wildlife corridors affects the ecological value of our wildlife protected areas and the development of tourism industry.

“In this regard failure to secure corridors will therefore affect wildlife populations and therefore tourism and hence our economy and our long-term sustainable conservation and development goals,” he warned.

Having said that, he reassured stakeholders that the ministry will ensure that all rights of indigenous people are protected.

In a report titled ‘Wildlife Corridors in Tanzania’ the government and its stakeholders point out that identification and protection of wildlife corridors is increasingly vital as pressure on natural resources continues to mount.

“These precious sites can help secure national interests such as water, energy, tourism, biodiversity, carbon sinks and development as well as meeting the needs and rights of local communities,” reads the report in part and insists on the importance of protecting the wildlife corridors of Tanzania.

The report also acknowledges that Tanzania has what it defines as unparalleled wildlife and natural resources and is recognised for its ‘unmatched concentrations of large herbivores, remarkable diversity of habitats from coral reefs to montane forests all combine to make Tanzania one of the most biodiverse and natural resource rich nations in Africa.’

However; “There are many issues that affect conservation in Tanzania including poverty, education, human and wildlife health, human population, development pressures, governance, land use planning, and technical and financial capacity,” the report warns.

Stay ahead of the game with our weekly African business Newsletter
Recieve Expert analysis, commentary and Insights into the enviroment which can help you make informed decisions.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

STAY INFORMED

Unlock Business Wisdom - Join The Exchange Africa's Newsletter for Expert African Business Insights!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Giza Mdoe is an experienced journalist with 10 plus years. He's been a Creative Director on various brand awareness campaigns and a former Copy Editor for some of Tanzania's leading newspapers. He's a graduate with a BA in Journalism from the University of San Jose. Contact me at giza.m@mediapix.com

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply
Exit mobile version