Assessment of the implementation of the Tanapa outreach Programme: case studies of Mikumi and Saadani National Parks

TANAPA Community Conservation Services (CCS) is one of the community conservation approaches in Tanzania, which was established as a mechanism for involving local communities and share benefits of wildlife conservation to solicit their will and support for the management of protected areas resources. This was thought to be valuable for development of local communities and wildlife conservation after the failure of “fences and fines” approach. The main objective of this study was to assess implementation of TANAPA CCS Programme towards achieving its main objectives with special reference to Mikumi and Saadani National Parks, where four villages namely Mbamba, Kiduhi, Saadani and Matipwili adjacent to the parks were studied. Data were collected using a combination of methods: household surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, direct field observations and reviews of relevant literatures. Data were also analysed through theme-content technique and statistical package for social science (SPSS) and findings were presented through percentages, graphs and charts. Based on the findings, this study found that CCS has limited implementation capacity on fulfilling its objectives of improving local peoples’ livelihoods and ensuring sustainable wildlife conservation in MINAPA and SANAPA. On improving local people’s livelihoods, the programme has contributed to rural development in adjacent villages through support of various development projects such as construction of classrooms, schools teachers’ house, administration blocks, libraries, dormitories and furniture. Key constraints which resulted into low implementation of CCS programme included inadequate conservation education among the communities, low involvement of communities in planning and identification of CCS activities, inadequate efficient mechanisms to implement CCS activities (including mechanisms to resolve park-people conflicts), lack of active coordination between the parks, communities and government officials in implementing CCS activities and failure of implemented projects to provide direct benefits to local peoples’ livelihoods. Low implementation of CCS on improving livelihoods of adjacent communities was also revealed through inability to provide alternative sources of income as majority of them depended on farming as a major source of livelihood; and the programme did not improve marketing of agricultural products. Inadequate sources of livelihood diversification among the communities were also noted to increase their dependence on the available natural resources. Other constraints to the low implementation of CCS towards livelihoods improvement and sustainable wildlife conservation were revealed through the existence of on-going conflicts between park and people, especially on resource use, which included; deforestation, poaching and encroachment. Due to the low implementation of CCS towards livelihoods improvement and sustainable wildlife management, this study recommended that there should be strategies to implement projects that reduce people’s dependence on natural resources. Such activities may include; promoting alternative income generation activities such as animal husbandry, hotels and restaurants, agricultural products processing projects, fish ponds and tree nurseries establishment. On attaining sustainable wildlife conservation, the study recommends that TANAPA should develop a strategy of providing casual laborers opportunities to adjacent communities such as formulating community patrolling groups on contract terms under Village Environmental and Natural Resources Committees, so as to provide opportunity to different community groups to participate in wildlife conservation. The main purpose is to protect the wildlife resources in villages and buffer zones.