Wildlife Management Areas in Tanzania: Vulnerability and Survival Amidst COVID-19

Abstract

The establishment of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) has been adopted as intervention to safeguard the wildlife and their habitats outside the core protected areas in Tanzania. Along with their conservation role, WMAs provide an opportunity for local communities to derive economic benefits from wildlife-based enterprises on their land. WMAs primarily rely on revenues generated from photographic and hunting tourism to support operational activities and create incentives for the local communities to conserve wildlife resources. The current global travel restrictions and lockdown caused by an outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic have reduced a vital funding source for WMAs. This, therefore, undermines the ability to manage the wildlife resources and reward communities for the opportunity cost of their land and other costs associated with coexisting with wildlife. This chapter examines the extent to which the decline of tourism revenues as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has affected WMAs as a framework for local communities to manage and benefit from wildlife. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews on five WMAs in Northern Tanzania that were purposively selected based on their ability to generate a significant amount of revenues from tourism. Findings show that the decline of tourism revenues triggers unprecedented adverse effects on the conservation of wildlife resources within WMAs. Livelihood of the local communities is also affected due to loss of employment opportunities and drop-off of tourism income obtained from the sales of local goods to the tourists and tourist hotels. We recommend the creation of local mechanisms for revenue acquisition that are more resilient to global shocks, diversifying revenue-generating options within WMAs, and putting in place the right funding model that would warrant WMAs sustainability.

COVID-19 impacts, opportunities and challenges for wildlife farms in Binh Duong and Ba Ria Vung Tau, Vietnam

“…First, our paper supports previous studies, which highlight that effective wildlife conservation policies and projects need to prioritize the diversification of livelihood options ( Cherkaoui et al, 2020 , Abeli Shoo et al, 2021 ; Mcelwee et al, 2020 ) to reduce financial dependence on wildlife farming. Second, our paper flags a significant data gap when it comes to legal and illegal operations.…”

“…Wildlife farming continues to prove an economically attractive option for households in our studied sites, with new farms being established even after the COVID-19 pandemic. While previous studies show COVID-19 lockdowns affected the incomes of similar wildlife businesses elsewhere in the world ( Mcginlay et al, 2020 , Abeli Shoo et al, 2021 , Cahyadi and Newsome, 2021 , Rahman et al, 2021 , Spenceley et al, 2021 ), in Vietnam just a few surveyed wildlife farms believed COVID-19 had seriously affected their businesses; wildlife-related income contributing less than 30 % to most households’ income in Ba Ria Vung Tau and Binh Duong provinces. This minor impact has several implications for future wildlife conservation policies.…”

Sustaining indigenous Maasai Alalili silvo-pastoral conservation systems for improved community livelihood and biodiversity conservation in East African rangelands

“…Activities such as settlements, crop cultivation, and mining are restricted while livestock grazing and wildlife hunting can only be acceptable under license or written permission of the managing authority [ 59 ]. Wildlife management area (WMA) refers to an area established with regard to initiatives of implementing a community-based conservation of natural resources [ 59 , 65 ]. The gazettement of WMA is done with the main purpose of securing wildlife buffer areas outside core protected areas, which are used by local community members and within the village land [ 59 , 65 ].…”

“…Wildlife management area (WMA) refers to an area established with regard to initiatives of implementing a community-based conservation of natural resources [ 59 , 65 ]. The gazettement of WMA is done with the main purpose of securing wildlife buffer areas outside core protected areas, which are used by local community members and within the village land [ 59 , 65 ]. In contrast to GCA, WMA comprises the portion of a village land through which communities have equitable access to the distribution of benefits from enterprises aimed at promoting wildlife conservation, enhancing economic development, and poverty reduction [ 56 , 59 , 65 ].…”

Effects of Covid 19 Pandemic on Tourism in Tanzania

“…Moreover, contributions from donor organizations and development partners in support of conservation efforts cannot be guaranteed as most of the revenues may be diverted to support other sectors including health. Failure of wildlife to generate adequate revenues and therefore, disrupt benefit sharing programs and the failure of conservation to compete effectively with other land uses also presents a potential threat to wildlife Besides reducing the household burden to contribution for development activities, communities around the protected areas also benefit from revenues generated from wildlife-based tourism through Community Conservation Banks or COCOBA also known as a village savings and loans groups (Shoo, 2021). Several examples of community involvement in nature tourism show how communities, including indigenous peoples, have been able to protect their cultural and natural heritage while creating wealth and improve their wellbeing.…”