Serengeti General Management Plan

E. Community Outreach Programme
Objective 2: Threats to SENAPA resource values reduced
through improved community natural resource management
in buffer areas
The desired future state of SENAPA is one where surrounding areas are sustainably managed
in a manner that supports the maintenance of biodiversity in the Park. The management
target to achieve this desired state seeks to improve the community management of
natural resources in the adjourning land, as described below.
Target 2.1: SENAPA collaboration in CBNRM initiatives with government,
NGO and private stakeholders strengthened
In order to address the growing impacts of land-use change and human population increase
on the Park resources, SENAPA has been collaborating with other ecosystem stakeholders
in promoting initiatives aimed at empowering local communities to improve their management
of natural resources.
In the last few years, a major new initiative by the Tanzanian Government is becoming a reality,
with policy and legalisation providing for community-run Wildlife Management Areas
(WMAs). Currently WMAs have been proposed to the east (Eramatare and Natron Proposed
WMAs), west (Ikona Proposed WMA), and south (Makao Proposed WMA) of the Park. The
new WMAs will provide the opportunity for villages to enhance their sustainable benefits from
wildlife and other natural resources within these areas. In addition, they will help to improve
the security and integrity of the wildebeest migration and other resident species. As of March
2005, the Ikona Proposed WMA application is being sent to the Ministry, the Makao Proposed
WMA is awaiting the approval of user rights, and Natron Proposed WMA is conducting
land-use planning.
However, there have been delays in establishing WMAs due to community suspicion surrounding
WMA implementation, bureaucracy hampering the implementation of national
Community-Based Conservation policy, and conflicting interests between leaders and the
community. In addition, there is a lack of a proposal for a WMA to act as a buffer on the
north-western hard edge of the Park.
Although it is not the direct responsibility of SENAPA to facilitate the formation of these
WMAs and progress towards their formation has been slow, collaborating with other stakeholders
and supporting local communities in the establishment of these new WMAs is an important
priority for this GMP. The main reason for this is that the WMAs provide a clear and
nationally approved mechanism to ameliorate the growing impacts on park resources from
the surrounding human populations, and therefore should be supported wherever possible.
WMAs are not the only community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) initiative
in the ecosystem. With the difficulties encountered with WMA formation, some communities
have chosen another route for CBNRM. For example, Olesososkwan Village have signed a
lease with Conscorp Africa for a tented camp on their village lands, and have put aside some
of their land for its exclusive use. SENAPA recognises that park-adjacent communities may
pursue non-WMA CBNRM routes and, where practical, will support and collaborate with such
initiatives.
In order to meet this management target, the following management actions have been formulated:
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