Mobilizing Policy Support, Mt Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania
Case Study C0191
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| Date | October 2004 |
| Agency | GEF COMPACT Initiative |
| Donor/support agency | The Hem Trust Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania Marangu Teacher Training College Ministry of Education, Tanzania Various local NGOs, cooperatives and community based organisations |
| Project type | Implemented by agency |
| Context(s) | Protected area |
| Geographic coverage | Tanzania |
| Locality | Moshi, Hai and Rombo districts |
| Biodiversity focus | Ecosystem/landscape |
| Development focus | Local communities |
| Conservation goals | Conserve the integrity of Mt Kilimanjaro National Park |
| Poverty reduction goals | Promote alternative income generating activities that are not harmful for the environment |
Summary
The area known today as Mt Kilimanjaro National Park was first declared a game reserve by the German colonial government in 1904, making it the oldest protected area in Africa. Today, Mount Kilimanjaro National Park extends for 75,353 ha, and it is surrounded by a forest reserve of 107,828 ha. The national park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1989. Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, and is a critical water catchment for Tanzania, generating some 20% of the nation’s electricity in hydropower. According to the 1988 census, the human population on Mt. Kilimanjaro was 840,386. Indigenous people make use of at least 176 plant species with medicinal properties used to treat gastrointestinal problems, cough, skin and veterinary uses. Approximately 12,000 people visit the park every year. The Baseline assessment conducted by COMPACT* in 2000 revealed that the main threats to the montane forest are: illegal hunting, honey gathering, commercial logging, fuel-wood collection, grass burning, commercial plantantions, and heavy visitor pressure. Most of these threats can be seen as illegal activities carried out by local people to earn a living.
In response to this situation, the GEF COMPACT strategy in Tanzania is first of all to provide local residents with sustainable alternative livelihoods opportunities. To this end, between 2001 and 2004 COMPACT approved 14 projects that fall into four main categories: (i) environmental conservation awareness and education; (ii) small-scale irrigation farming and water supply projects to promote crop production; (iii) promotion of household energy farms and use of fuel-efficient stoves to reduce fuel-wood demand from the Mt. Kilimanjaro forest reserve; and (iv) eco-tourism training among young guides currently engaged in tour operations with negative environmental impacts.
* In 1999, the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (SGP) joined efforts with the United Nations Foundation (UNF) to launch a partnership initiative entitled ‘Community Management of Protected Areas for Conservation’ (COMPACT). The goal of COMPACT is to demonstrate how community-based initiatives can significantly increase the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation in the co-management of globally significant protected areas by working to improve the livelihoods of local populations. COMPACT began in March 2000 and has been implemented at natural World Heritage sites in Belize (C0187), Dominica (C0189), Kenya (C0190), Mexico (C0188), Philippines (C0192) and Tanzania (C0191). (For more information on COMPACT see initiative n°36.)
Conservation impact
Some of the impacts of the project to date:
- A variety of environmental conservation education activities were carried out promoting the significance of the WH site and raising awareness of best practices in sustainable resource management among 26 local communities
- 400 women were trained in the construction and use of the fuel-efficient stoves, which, combined with the cultivation of fast-growing tree species, is helping to reduce collection of fuel-wood and to improve air quality in the house. Fuel-wood consumption and CO2 emissions in some instances were cut by up to 50%
- Over 200,000 trees covering over 110 hectares were planted between 2003-2004
- The rehabilitation of traditional irrigation systems also resulted in about 600 people to refrain from illegal tree felling business and return to agriculture
Poverty reduction impact
Some of the impacts of the project to date:
- More than 800 of the mountain’s 1,200 tour guides and porters were trained and a professional guides association was created. The higher guiding fees expected to be earned will boost incomes and provide a tangible demonstration of the local economic benefits to be obtained from effective conservation
- Between 2003 and 2004 COMPACT assisted 5 poor communities to rehabilitate and co-manage traditional irrigation systems with a view to increasing crop production and growing of high-value vegetables. The programme estimates that small-scale irrigation farming more than doubled food crop production for 1,000 families in just over one year
Strategy for Conservation/Poverty Linkages
Enabling local participation in policy-/decision- making processes
Provision of alternative livelihoods
Sustainable Use
Reference 1
http://www.undp.org/sgp/download/publications/Partnerships%20for%20conservation%20-%20web.pdf
More information
Victoria Nderumaki
Tel: (027) 2756260
E-mail: vickynde@yahoo.com
Related records above this one:
- Global Environment Facility (GEF) (Organisation O0026)
- COMPACT (Community Management of Protected Areas for Conservation) (Initiative I0036)
- Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (Organisation O0103)