Perspective Chapter: A Perspective on the Resettlement of Maasai Communities from the Ngorongoro Landscape in Tanzania

Abstract

Tanzania is endowed with an abundance of natural resources, and the country has set aside more than 30% of its land for conservation. The Ngorongoro district is where both the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) and the Loliondo Game Controlled Area (LGCA) are located. Sometimes, it is confusing when talking about Ngorongoro as a region and the NCA as a conservation area. The NCA is an example of a diverse landscape in which humans (the Maasai tribe) and their livestock coexist with wildlife, but crop farming is prohibited. According to current projections, the Maasai population at NCA is approximately 120,000 people. And there are approximately 45,200 livestock. The increase in people is proportional to the increase in livestock, as the Maasai who live in the Ngorongoro landscape rely solely on animal husbandry as their main source of income. In the NCA, human and livestock population growth have a significant impact on wildlife and their habitat. To alleviate the pressure on the landscape, the Tanzanian government took the initiative to seek Maasai willing to relocate to another area, in this case, Handeni district in Tanga region.

The cooperative development relationship between Nature Reserves and local communities

“…When local people express satisfaction with protection policies, the associated costs of conservation efforts tend to decrease (Bragagnolo et al, 2016;Mbise, 2022aMbise, , 2022b) (Figure 4). In this context, management agencies can cooperate with local governments to evaluate the compatibility between livelihood activities that communities want to preserve and the overarching conservation objectives.…”

“…These include offering various benefits, such as biodiversity protection, provision of clean air and water, and recreational opportunities for the local population (Allendorf, 2020). In addition, NRs can attract government projects, nongovernmental organizations, and economic activities like ecotourism (Mariyam et al, 2021;Mbise, 2022aMbise, , 2022b. Nevertheless, the protection of natural resources is often perceived as a barrier to the societal and economic progress of neighboring communities (Buckley, 2016;Cobbinah et al, 2015).…”