COUNTRY: Tansania

CLIENT:
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (formerly GTZ)

PROJECT TITLE:
"Katavi-Rukwa Conservation and Development Programme“

SHORT DESCRIPTION

The project focuses on the area surrounding the Katavi National Park, the nearby Rukwa national wildlife reserve, the Lukwati protected wildlife area and the buffer zone of the protected area. These conservation areas make up an important part of the protected areas network of Western Tanzania. The protected areas are threatened by growing human population without legal access to natural resources, resulting in people-wildlife conflicts, poaching, deforestation and illegal cattle grazing. This occurs due to the lack of sustainable use alternatives for the local population, for example increasing the value of the protected areas from the perspective of the local community through ecotourism development.

The objective of the programme is the conservation of the biodiversity and natural resources in Katavi-Rukwa and the improvement of the livelihoods of the local population TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks). Through the programme, the wildlife division and the local authority are to be supported in order to sustainably manage the resources in the Katavi-Rukwa-Region. Conservation is encouraged through the sustainable use of natural resources. Important elements of the project are community-based wildlife management, measures in the buffer zone, a tourism master plan and capacity building.

AGEG Consultants carried out the following measures:

• Development of a sustainable ecotourism master plan and recommendations for product development
• Measures to improve the management and infrastructure of the protected area
• Development of a GIS-based biodiversity monitoring system
• Participation with local communities in the protection of natural resources
• Development of a model for the practical collaboration between TANAPA and the Wildlife Division for the coordinated management of the ecosystem
• Project implementation and analysis including capacity-building for natural resource management