Strategic plans set to secure wildlife corridors (Tanzania)
The Daily News
September 13, 2022
See link
https://dailynews.co.tz/strategic-plans-set-to-secure-wildlife-corridors/
for photo.
The government is strategising to secure wildlife corridors that have been
extensively blocked countrywide, leading to wild animals killing, injuring
people and destroying properties and crops.
Senior government officials signalled hope to achieve the target through
participatory approach among stakeholders for security of the people living
near national parks and conserved areas, safeguard the environment and keep
safe the people who would otherwise be attacked by the animals when they go
back to the blocked corridors.
The Director of Wildlife in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism,
Dr Maurus Msuha said over the weekend that many corridors have been blocked
by people setting up residences, adding that effects have been negative, as
animals, such as elephants remember and go back through the corridors, even
after many years, hence attacking and killing people.
“Blocking the corridors has been going on from time to time, but now we
have come to a time that we should take action to unblock them. This is a
participatory approach, by working with stakeholders, because we have to
safeguard lives of people as well as of the animals,” said Dr Msuha.
He was speaking to journalists at his office in Dodoma at a visit organised
by the Journalists’ Environmental Association of Tanzania (JET) under the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Tuhifadhi
Maliasili project.
Maintaining, restoring and protecting wildlife corridors is a critical
conservation intervention at times of unprecedented habitat fragmentation.
Corridors serve primarily to maintain viability of isolated populations
while ensuring ecosystem functionality and harmonizing conservation and
development needs.
Dr Msuha noted that the issue of wildlife corridors is a straight forward
one, given the fact that land size has remain the same while population
increases. He expounded that conservation is pertinent in national parks,
conserved areas and generally all over the country as wild animals tend to
move from place to place for different needs.
He gave an example of animals, such as wild beasts relocating from
Tarangire National Park to Simanjiro plains during long rain stints to give
birth and take care of their calves as well as get grass with the right
nutrients. Zebra also relocate from Serengeti for some reasons.
He expounded that animals such as elephants need huge areas for grazing due
to their high consumption, hence human have to make sure they do not block
their corridors, because even if they do not pass for years, they will
definitely some days go back.
He noted that the government has started taking action, by writing right
papers that will be shared with the stakeholders. Even in construction of
the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), he noted, contractors observed advice
from Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) on some points with
corridors so as to have an underpasses.
He said the last bullet to the challenge is to have good land use plan so
as to save people from dangerous animals, citing some as Makuyuni, Mto wa
Mbu and near Lake Natron in Arusha region.
The identification and protection of wildlife corridors is increasingly
vital as pressure on natural resources mounts across Tanzania. 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.
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.
Rapid agricultural expansion, unplanned land use, unmanaged natural
resource extraction contribute to habitat loss. Unless action is taken to
manage these activities, Tanzania’s protected areas will become isolated –
a situation likely to have serious implications for the viability of animal
populations and economic development, including the sustainability of the
tourist industry as well as broader ecosystem survival.
https://dailynews.co.tz/strategic-plans-set-to-secure-wildlife-corridors/