Community based conservation experience in Tanzania: An assessment of lessons learned

KEYWORD: Community-based Natural Forest Management, Africa. Africa, Tanzania, ecotourism, income distribution, joint ventures, conservation, hunting, wildlife, institutions, land tenure, laws, communication, community participation, education, equity, case study, lessons learned. SUMMARY: This report is an assessment of the status of the Community Based Conservation (CBC) process in Tanzania based on a review of four selected case studies. Individual summaries of the four case studies are presented in detail separately. The following were listed as critical issues among the four case studies, which must be addressed for a successful CBC program in Tanzania: Inadequate legal and institutional frameworks for CBC control and administration; A bias towards a policing or top-down approach;Conflicting and overlapping mandates and approaches of government institutions, donors, and NGOs; Lack of clear tenure rights for communities and individuals over land and natural resources; Inadequate knowledge of CBC program; Inadequate political will in spearheading the institutionalization of CBC; Diversities or disparities between individuals, communities and sectors in terms of education, awareness, wealth, availability of natural resources and other factors; National aspirations that have consistently sidelined community aspirations and priorities; Involvement of the private sector in licensed hunting, tour operations, hotel management, and others, has not contributed positively to the development of communities; A general failure to recognize that consumptive use of wildlife has limits. Recent economic cost-benefit analyses suggest that non-consumptive options may provide better, sustainable, returns; An overwhelming problem is to find a mechanism for the equitable sharing of the resources from CBC projects.