East Africa: Proposed Wildlife Corridor Receives $6 Million


The East African (Nairobi)

April 17, 2007
Posted to the web April 17, 2007

Mike Mande, the Eastafrican
Nairobi

Tanzania and Mozambique are discussing the establishment of Africa's largest protected wildlife area linking the Selous and Niassa Game Reserves in southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique respectively.

The former is a World Heritage Site.


The project is being financed by the German government under its Tropical Ecology Support Programme, which has already provided $6 million.

The proposed Selous-Niassa Wildlife Protection Corridor - the largest trans-boundary natural dry forest in Africa - covers 150,000 square kilometres, over a distance of 160km in the districts of Namtumbo and Tunduru in Ruvuma region, southern Tanzania, and consists of the natural Miombo woodland.

The woodland features granite inselbergs, seasonal and permanent wetlands and riverine forests along numerous rivers and streams draining either into the Rufiji or Ruvuma rivers.

Saleh Pamba, Permanent Secretary in Tanzania's Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources, told The EastAfrican that the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Protection Corridor Project aims at ensuring the preservation of the ecological links between Selous and Niassa Game Reserves.

He said that the long-term conservation of community, species and genetic biological diversity of the Miombo woodland ecosystem can only be developed by an effective and protected wildlife corridor.

A formal agreement with regular transfer of information between the wildlife authorities of Tanzania and Mozambique and the prevention of poaching across the national borders would also be considered in the project.

"The corridor also aims at improving the living conditions of the people living in the Selous-Niassa wildlife corridor," said Mr Pamba.

The wide variety of wild-life habitats - forests, wooded grasslands, open savannahs, granite kopjes, seasonal and permanent wetlands and rivers - account for a globally significant biodiversity.

Dr Rolf Baldus, programme manager of the SelouS-Niassa project, told The EastAfrican that to achieve conservation and development in the southern sector of the Selous-Niassa Corridor, the project is taking a community-based conservation approach based on experience in the northern area of the corridor.


Dr Baldus said that the project will develop local competencies in sustainable resources management within the corridor and promote conservation and biodiversity management by improving the human capacity to manage wildlife resources.

This aims to empower communities managing the land for wildlife conservation purposes with the subsequent benefits of improving livelihoods, conserving biodiversity and maintaining the integrity of the wildlife corridor," said Dr Baldus, adding that it is in compliance with Tanzania's wildlife policy, which seeks to empower people a that local level by involving them in all aspects of conservation programmes.

The Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor supports Cites listed large animal species and will allow for the unhindered migration of the largest African elephant (Loxodonta Africana), between the two largest elephant ranges of the world.

So, what does that mean for hunting?

More protected area for wildlife - what could that mean for hunting? Wildlife...hunting...I'm battling to make the link here?

Alternately it could support management areas/ buffers that incorporate hunting and other integrated land use activities.

Beats hunting on shambas. Of course people may not be relocated but the status may drive better conservation initiatives, I guess we will see, no doubt many years away until its 'complete' Eitherway, we hunt on some form of protected area (by varying degree of 'status'), so it sounds promising perhaps?

UEG,
The project is pro-hunting! That is one of the activities that will be encouraged by the Community wildlife Mgmt Projects thorugh the Game dpt. In fact, I think there are already a few hunting concessions in the project area.

Thanks for the update. That's positive hunting news from the Dark Continent!