Longido District Commissioner Frank Mwaisumbe has raised alarm on the possible vanishing of animal corridors along the Enduimet Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The DC further warned that the reality could further escalate human-wildlife conflict in the area.
“As we speak a total 16 kilometers have been blocked, we shouldn’t be surprised seeing elephants and other animals wreaking havoc,” warned the DC while opening a Climate change training in Longido district to community members forming the Lake Natron Ecosystem.
According to Mr Mwaisumbe, there was a need to strike the right balance between wildlife protection and people’s livelihoods to avert human-wildlife conflicts. He further warned that if such conflicts went unchecked, it could result in the stealth extinction of wildlife species, poor yields as a result of crop damage and Injuries and death of humans.
Human-wildlife conflict ensues when animals pose a direct and recurrent threat to the livelihood, safety of humans which leads to the persecution of that species in an area. The most affected wildlife species in such conflicts include elephants, rhinos, lions, crocodiles and snakes.
On his part, Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF) BMZ Climate Facility Project Manager Daniel Ouma said communities within the Lake Natron Ecosystem had been sensitized on effects of climate change and provided with water tanks to mitigate effects of Human-Wildlife Conflicts.
“Some residents have been recruited for the Village Game Scouts to ensure sustainable conservation of natural resources while others have benefitted from BeeHive projects,” explained Mr Ouma.
Kimokoa village resident, who is also a beneficiary of the project Kilembe Kitoo said pastoral communities in the area were bearing the most brunt of effects of climate change, thanks to their nomadic nature. The World Wide Fund (WWF) in partnership with TNRF runs the BMZ Climate Facility Project
“Protection of key Ecosystems, Increased Resilience and Adaptation for their Sustainable Use by Local Communities in Southeast Africa”.
In Tanzania, the project is implemented in the northern part specifically in four Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) namely; Enduimet and Lake Natron in Longido District, Ikona and Makao in Serengeti and Meatu districts respectively and Mkomazi wildlife corridors (Ziwani and Kwakao villages [KarambaNdea]) in Same and Mwanga districts covering over 60 villages.