How the EU-Funded KUWA Project is Changing Lives in Kisungule For much of his life, Saidi Alfani, a small-scale farmer from Magazini village in the Kisungule Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Southern Tanzania, relied on traditional hunting to support his family. Like many in his community, Saidi viewed wildlife simply as a resource, unaware
Why Financial Transparency Matters in Community-Led Conservation Introduction What if conservation wasn’t a guessing game? What if every dollar meant to protect wildlife and support communities was tracked and transparent for all to see? Picture a village bordering a wildlife reserve where people and nature should thrive together. A new conservation project arrives, promising
Photo above: Lake Burunge photo Monica Dalmaso Burunge Wildlife Management Area: A Model of Community-Led Conservation Success Background Established in 2004, the Burunge Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Northern Tanzania is a community-owned conservation haven. Strategically positioned between the iconic Tarangire and Manyara National Parks, Burunge serves as a critical migratory corridor within the
Introduction: In the realm of conservation, success isn't just a matter of passion; it's a matter of numbers. Imagine a simple calculation: 20+40+40+100=200. While I may not be a mathematician, even these straightforward computations reveal the essence of community-based conservation. In this blog, we delve into the crucial role of financial sustainability in creating
Improving local community livelihoods and habitat through equitable governance and effective management of Burunge Wildlife Management Area Project Background Burunge Wildlife Management Area (BWMA) is a community-owned and managed protected area in Babati District, Northern Tanzania. Spanning 28,300 hectares, it is situated near Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park, serving
It is too common to hear, ‘Local communities do not have the skills to manage conservation areas.’ This might be somewhat true, but shouldn’t we question why this is still the situation and what’s being done to change it? Local community members are perfectly competent, and we should focus our investments here, beyond the
With over 30,000 hectares invested, with revenues exceeding half a million dollars, over 15,000 shareholders expecting a return on their investment, this is a complex business, it is the business of conservation. Wildlife Management Areas are social businesses, they require funding to operate and provide tangible benefits to the communities that surround them. As
Protection costs consume around 60% of the total operating budgets for many African conservation areas, be it national parks or the smaller community conservation areas. Most National Parks in Africa (such as the Serengeti) annually spend between 500-800 USD per square km for protection, we can see some of the more financially challenged protected
We at Honeyguide are often reminded that not all community areas can become financially sustainable, and whilst I totally understand this, I believe that many can achieve financial independence. We are a naturally optimistic organization, we have to be in order to approach such ambitious objectives and celebrate these fabulous results with our community partners.
The patterns of wildlife that move across the landscapes, how man and wildlife have an interdependence, where man benefits from wildlife, wildlife from man; the exigencies of life in these vast and wild landscapes. Wildlife in Tanzania needs large landscapes in order to survive. They move onto village land that is owned by local communities
