National Parks
The country boasts a vast array of protected areas, including national parks, nature reserves, marine parks and the Ngorongoro protected area. The 15 most emblematic national parks include:
Parc national du Serengeti (Serengeti National Park): this protects a remarkable biodiversity of fauna (including the "big five"), and allows visitors to observe the spectacular wildebeest migration. However, it is threatened by anthropogenic pressures: overgrazing and slash-and-burn agriculture in the vicinity of the park, transport infrastructure projects and poaching.
Kilimanjaro National Park : a UNESCO World Heritage site, it protects Kilimanjaro's mountain ecosystems, deserts, alluvial forest, moorlands and high-altitude grasslands.
Ruaha National Park : located in the central Tanzanian plateau, this park is renowned for its megafauna, particularly elephants. Its wetlands are also home to numerous bird populations.
Parc national des monts Udzungwa (Udzungwa Mountains National Park): home to part of the Udzungwa mountain range, this park is a remarkable reservoir of biodiversity, with a high level of endemism.
Parc national de Gombe Stream (Gombe National Park) : located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, this is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is home to populations of baboons and chimpanzees, and was the study ground for the famous ethologist Jane Goodall.
Rubondo Island National Park : located on the south-western shore of Lake Victoria, it is home to numerous bird populations.
Saadani National Park: located on the country's northern coastal fringe, it is home to exceptional biodiversity in its ecosystems, including those of the Wami River delta.
The Ngorongoro Protected Area, managed by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, is home to the ecosystems of the Ngorongoro Mountains and archaeological sites. Maasai communities practice pastoralism here. However, heavy tourist numbers are not without impact on the ecosystems.
The Nyerere National Park, which came into being in 2019, is controversial. It is partly the result of a redrawing of the Selous Reserve, which is hosting the construction of a hydroelectric dam in the Stiegler Gorge, a project that could lead to deforestation, disruption of animal migrations and degradation of aquatic ecosystems.
Biodiversity
The erosion of diversity in Tanzania is linked to a number of factors, including poaching and the introduction of invasive species (Nile perch and water hyacinth in Lake Victoria). Other practices, such as overgrazing, intensive agriculture and dynamite fishing, also contribute to habitat destruction. Urbanization and the construction of transport infrastructures lead to the degradation and fragmentation of natural environments. Biodiversity is also threatened by pollution linked to human activities and climate change, which accelerates coastal erosion and desertification. In some areas, such as the archipelago of Zanzibar, the old-growth tropical forest has regressed by 95%. In response to this situation, a number of programs have been set up, bringing together local communities and tourists. On Zanzibar's Misali Island, the Mwambao Coastal Community Network is working alongside an NGO to raise awareness among fishermen of the need for more sustainable fishing practices. The Chumbe Island Coral Park is a remarkable example of private ecological management, raising awareness among islanders and visitors alike, and offering high-quality ecotourism.
Fighting pollution
To reduce plastic pollution at source, Tanzania has banned the sale, import and distribution of single-use plastic bags in 2019. In 2018, the dhow Flipflopi, made from 10 tons of recycled plastic, made a stop in Zanzibar. This is a project supported by the United Nations Environment Program called the Clean Seas Initiative. The aim was to raise awareness of plastic pollution in coastal communities in Tanzania and Kenya. In 2021, the boat embarked on a second voyage, with Lake Victoria as its destination, where plastic is said to have contaminated one in five fish. The mission is also accompanied by local projects to promote the circular economy. The company is inventive, like the start-up EcoAct, founded by a Tanzanian. This company collects and recycles plastic packaging, without chemicals, to make building materials: an "up-cycling" approach that also has the virtue of combating deforestation.
There are still challenges ahead in terms of pollution prevention. According to the NGO Water Witness, the textile industry, which manufactures the ready-to-wear clothing of some of our Western brands, has contaminated the Msimbazi river with hexavalent chromium, an extremely toxic agent. A worrying subject, which adds to the high water requirements of this type of industry, and calls into question our consumption habits. A collaborative investigative project, " green Blood project ", was conducted by some forty journalists from European media in support of local journalists threatened or murdered. In 2019, the project revealed a scandal (heavy metal pollution, murder, rape) linked to the exploitation of the Mara-Nord gold mine by a British company.
Facing climate change
Tanzania is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Extreme weather events (droughts, floods) are becoming more frequent and intense. It is also reflected in rising sea levels, which accentuate the phenomenon of coastal erosion, leading to the displacement of some coastal dwellers. Water shortages are exacerbating the country's water stress, raising the spectre of food insecurity. Faced with this situation, we are all actors for change.
