The overwhelming beauty and great diversity of species have made Tanzania's national parks famous all over the world. Like no other national park, the Serengeti epitomises an animal paradise and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. The many tourists still find an intact savannah landscape with almost all native species. The imposing ‘big five’ are a popular photo motif, as is the great migration of around two million hoofed animals – wildebeests, zebras and gazelles – which cover almost 1,000 kilometres a year in their search for water and fresh food.
But the Serengeti ecosystem is under pressure from various sides: rising visitor numbers mean more accommodation, increasing water and energy consumption, more traffic; poachers threaten biodiversity; and the livestock of local farmers compete with wild animals for water, food, and space.
On behalf of the German Federal Government, KfW Development Bank, in cooperation with the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), is supporting the sustainable development of the ecosystem – for both humans and animals. The commitment encompasses a wide range of measures: The protected area administrations are provided with vehicles, new infrastructure and equipment. The settlements and villages in the protected areas beyond the park are crossed and used by wild animals all year round – conflicts arise here time and again. In order to gain acceptance for the conservation measures among the population, investments in rural infrastructure – especially road and path construction, health centres and school buildings – are being promoted. Added to this is the establishment of micro-savings groups – accompanied by environmental education – and the integration of the residents in community-based nature conservation. This means improved mobility, local healthcare and educational opportunities as well as income opportunities beyond livestock farming and poaching.
Nature lovers from all over the world want to see the Big Five – elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard – up close and, if possible, photograph or film them. The increasing traffic leads to more traffic jams, speeding and accidents. Long columns of jeeps are on the road in the national park and safari travellers urge their guides to drive closer when they spot animals – for unique photos. To remedy this, the ‘Traffic management for protected areas through digital solutions’ project is currently being implemented: Digital instruments are used to control and manage traffic in the park. Every vehicle that enters the park is digitally recorded and registered, speeding and illegal off-road driving are recognised and can be penalised. It is hoped that there will be fewer (wildlife) accidents and a reduction in soil compaction. A balanced distribution of vehicles in the park should give travellers a more intense experience – and the animals less stress.
First port of call and a must for tourists: the visitor centre in Seronera – the Serengeti Visitor Interpretive Centre (SVIC). It will be rehabilitated and partially rebuilt in the coming years. Artists in Arusha will design and create an exhibition. The concept for the remodelling was developed jointly by TANAPA, the Frankfurt Zoological Society and an architectural firm in Arusha with the involvement of KfW.
Poaching with wire snares is inconspicuous, noiseless and above all inexpensive – in the Serengeti mainly for personal consumption and for sale on the bushmeat market. This is countered by "de-snaring teams" that remove snares and often also free and treat trapped animals. Mabenga Elias Makindi, an ex-poacher, explains: ‘"I was a poacher for seven years – a risky job. There were wild animals, but there was also the risk of being caught by the police and then spending my life in prison. Because of my experience as a poacher, I got the job in the De-Snaring team. I know the terrain well and know how the poachers set the traps. And now I've been working in the de-snaring team for two years, which has completely changed my life. With the salary I receive, I can now provide for my family and send my children to school. At the moment, I have started to build a log cabin for my children in our village."
The slings are collected in a container and later cut up so that they cannot be reused. In a "green recycling’" programme, they are used to make small wire ornaments or other objects. They are sold to raise awareness of the problem and generate additional income.
More than 50 villages on the outskirts of the Serengeti are receiving support for the construction of infrastructure: roads, schools, housing for teachers, clinics and pharmacies.
In the Ngorongoro District, the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) and KfW have rehabilitated the cattle bath in the village of Oloipiri. The Maasai herders are trying to eradicate animal diseases such as East Coast fever, anaplasmosis and diseases transmitted by tsetse flies by driving the cattle into the medicated cattle baths. The cattle farmers pay a small fee and the income covers the costs of medication and the cattle bath operation.
There is an "elephant tower" north-west of the community of Robanda on the border with the national park. There is an "elephant group" in the community with 30 members, three of whom are trained to use mobile phones to document conflicts between humans and wild animals. If elephants are spotted from the elephant tower, the entire group is alerted. They drive the elephants away with projectiles, small firecrackers and powerful torches. Especially during harvest time, when the plants are high, the elephants come almost every day.
Baraka Mathias remembers 9 August, when he was suddenly woken up by his barking dog. As he looked with a torch, his neighbour called out to him: "An elephant is looking for water! Please help me chase him away!" Together they made some noise and the elephant disappeared. But suddenly one of the elephants reappeared. Baraka tried to escape, stumbled and fell to the ground. The elephant attacked him, hit him with its tusks and injured his arm. The elephant pinned him to the ground with its weight. More elephants came, but Baraka remained calm and did not move because he knew that any movement could be fatal.
He prayed to God: "These are my last prayers. Please help me, I don't want to leave my children." Despite the painful attacks, Baraka remained silent until the elephants thought he was dead and left him alone.
Faith Mark, mother of two children, also recounts: "Two weeks ago, several elephants came and ate cassava and papaya. When we saw them, we made a lot of noise and banged on drums to chase them away together with the neighbours. We live as self-sufficient farmers from what we grow – maize, sorghum and cassava – and have a few cattle. The plantations are always under threat from elephants."
Many dedicated employees in national authorities, protected area administrations, NGOs, donors and local communities are working together for animals and people. Masegeri Rurai, head of FZS's Serengeti Ecosystem Project, says: "We are trying to make conservation a win-win situation for everyone. Nature, but also every single household and every village should benefit."
As in many regions worldwide, KfW’s commitment to the conservation of the Serengeti ecosystem is caught between the need for land use for the local population to be self-sufficient and the need to restrict its use to protect natural resources. Within its projects, KfW is committed to upholding human rights and is engaged in a continuous dialogue with its partners to contribute to the sustainable resolution of land use conflicts. The strong focus on project activities outside the Serengeti, which are intended to ensure that the positive economic effects of nature conservation and tourism also reach the areas directly bordering the river, also play a role here.
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