WWF Tanzania Country Office

Plot 350, Regent Estate Mikocheni

P.O. Box 63117
Dar es Salaa, !an"ania
!el. #$55 % $$ &
$7753'6($77$'55($700077
)ax* #$55 % $$ % $775535
Mail* in+o,--+t".org
.e/* http://www.panda.org
Media Release 2014-07-19
On Saturday July 19
th
2014 Yolanda Kakabadse the !nternat"onal #res"dent o$ %%& the
global en'"ron(ental organ")at"on presented the *%%& +eaders $or a +"'"ng #lanet,
award to 19 %"ldl"$e -anage(ent .reas /%-.s0 and one .uthor")ed .sso1"at"ons
2onsort"u( /..20 at a 1olour$ul 1ere(ony at the %-. o31e 1o(pound "n -wada
4"llage 5abat" 6"str"1t -anyara 7eg"on.
8he award 1ere(ony was w"tnessed by 1entral and lo1al go'ern(ent agen1"es lo1al
1o((un"t"es $ro( 5urunge %-.9 (e(ber '"llages and representat"'es $ro( nearby
%-.s o$ :ndu"(et and 7andel"n.
8he 19 %-.s and the ..2 were re1ogn")ed $or outstand"ng a1h"e'e(ents "n
1onser'at"on o$ w"ldl"$e resour1es the preser'at"on o$ hab"tats essent"al $or sur'"'al o$
threatened spe1"es and to s"gn";1antly 1ontr"bute to susta"nable w"ldl"$e 1onser'at"on
on '"llage lands "n 8an)an"a.
%-.s are 1o((un"ty<owned resour1e (anage(ent areas typ"1ally lo1ated near h"gh<
'alue prote1ted areas. 8hey pro'"de a way $or 1o((un"t"es to ga"n e1ono("1ally $ro(
(anag"ng w"ldl"$e and other natural resour1es "n a susta"nable (anner. 8hrough the
"(ple(entat"on o$ %-.s $ro( 200= a nu(ber o$ bene;ts ha'e been real")ed by lo1al
1o((un"t"es "n1lud"ng:
!n1reased part"1"pat"on o$ lo1al 1o((un"t"es "n the
(anage(ent o$ natural resour1es result"ng "n h"gher
populat"ons o$ w"ldl"$e "(pro'ed $orest health and stable
watersheds>
!n1reased re'enue $ro( tour"s( related a1t"'"t"es a(ount"ng to
o'er ?S@ A ("ll"on to date. -ost o$ th"s (oney has gone to the
1o((un"t"es that $or(ed the %-.s>
5u"ld"ng strong de(o1rat"1 go'ernan1e "nst"tut"ons at lo1al le'el
that represent lo1al 1o((un"ty "nterests "n natural resour1e
(anage(ent>
Se1ures lo1al resour1e r"ghts and tenure on the"r land.
%%& 8an)an"a w"th support $ro( ?S.!6 has pro'"ded pol"1y and d"re1t support to
%-.s "n 8an)an"a s"n1e 200A w"th a nu(ber o$ other partners "n1lud"ng the .$r"1an
%"ldl"$e &oundat"on /.%&0.
-s. Kakabadse obser'ed that *8h"s e'ent helps show the larger 1onser'at"on p"1ture
o$ how we are 1onne1ted to nature "nsp"re others and re1ogn")es the (any
stakeholders and donors who play key roles "n (ak"ng su1h a1t"ons happen and $or
(ob"l")"ng power$ul new 1onser'at"on 1o(("t(ents,.
8he *%%& +eaders $or a +"'"ng #lanet, award a"(s to re1ogn")e
"nd"'"duals/organ")at"ons that (ake a s"gn";1ant 1ontr"but"on to the 1onser'at"on o$
the natural world. *8hese "nsp"r"ng eBa(ples o$ en'"ron(ental leadersh"p de(onstrate
1o((un"ty respons"b"l"ty to prote1t the en'"ron(ent and represent an "(portant
1ontr"but"on to the a1h"e'e(ent o$ both 8an)an"a9s nat"onal b"od"'ers"ty 1onser'at"on
a1t"on plan and %%&9s 1onser'at"on goals. %hen added together these a1t"ons (ake
a (aCor 1ontr"but"on to a truly l"'"ng planet D $or 1urrent and $uture generat"ons, the
%%& #res"dent e(phas")ed.
S"n1e the establ"sh(ent o$ *%%& +eaders $or a +"'"ng #lanet, award "n 2000 o'er 100
su1h awards ha'e been (ade worldw"de re1ogn")"ng a w"de 'ar"ety o$ "n"t"at"'es. !n
8an)an"a th"s award was (ade to the So(anga 4"llage 5ea1h -anage(ent ?n"t /5-?0
$or *(anag"ng ;sher"es resour1es and prote1t"ng the (ar"ne en'"ron(ent hab"tats
and spe1"es $or $uture generat"ons,.
8he ..2 2ha"rperson -r. .("r -ataka re1e"'ed the .wards on behal$ o$ the 19 %-.s
and thanked %%& and other partners $or the support s"n1e the %-. "(ple(entat"on
pro1ess was laun1hed "n 6ar es Salaa( "n January 200=. *!t was a tough r"de but
partners l"ke %%& and "ndeed the go'ern(ent oEered the ne1essary support to
ensure we ha'e a healthy new baby, sa"d -r. -ataka.
!n h"s 1los"ng re(arks -r. +eonard -ayeta the representat"'e o$ the -"n"stry o$
Fatural 7esour1es and 8our"s( /-F780 thanked %%& 8an)an"a and other partners $or
support"ng Go'ern(ent and 1o((un"t"es "n enhan1"ng the (anage(ent o$ w"ldl"$e
resour1es "n the 1ountry.
He stated the ?n"ted 7epubl"1 o$ 8an)an"a9s 1o(("t(ent to e(power lo1al
1o((un"t"es and ensure they der"'e (aB"(u( bene;t $ro( (anage(ent o$ the
w"ldl"$e resour1es "n %-.s. Go'ern(ent sees the %-.s as an "(portant 'eh"1le
towards "(pro'ed natural resour1es go'ernan1e a11ountab"l"ty and essent"al to help
erad"1ate po'erty.
6esp"te a re1ent upsurge o$ "nternat"onal "llegal w"ldl"$e trade wh"1h resulted "n elephant
poa1h"ng and threatened the long ter( sur'"'al o$ endangered spe1"es su1h as rh"no
and w"ld dogs we see the *%%& +eaders $or a +"'"ng #lanet, award as an "(portant
wake up 1all to re'"ew our strateg"es and approa1hes "n ant"<poa1h"ng a1t"'"t"es
throughout the 1ountry and to re1ogn")e lo1al 1o((un"t"es as "(portant and true
partners.
For more info please contact: hsosovele@wwftz.org; akajuni@wwftz.org; lgeorge@wwftz.org
Attachment #1: Facts on WMAs in Tanzania
Currently, Wildlife Management Areas serve 146 villages in Tanzania about
410,000 people
1! WMAs "ave been establis"ed to date and re#ognized by t"e government of
Tanzania
T"ere are $0 ot"ers a%aiting offi#ial re#ognition
WMAs are "ome to i#oni# spe#ies su#" as elep"ants, lions, giraffes, "yenas,
%ildebeest, #"eeta"s, and %ild dogs
T"e WMAs #urrently #over $&,'&! (m$ )'* of Tanzania+s land area,, adding to t"e
e-isting 160,000. (m$ of national %ildlife prote#ted areas
Attachment #2: WMAs currently active in Tanzania
T"e 1! WMAs a%arded %it" t"e /WW0 1eaders for a 1iving 2lanet3 in#lude4
1 5urunge WMA 5abati 6istri#t
$ C"ingoli WMA Tunduru 6istri#t
' 7nduimet WMA 1ongido 6istri#t
4 8(ona WMA 9erengeti 6istri#t
: 8luma WMA 8fa(ara 6istri#t
6 8pole WMA 9i(onge 6istri#t
; <imbanda WMA =amtumbo 6istri#t
& <isungule WMA =amtumbo 6istri#t
! 1i%ale WMA 1i%ale 6istri#t
10 Ma(ame WMA <iteto 6istri#t
11 Ma(ao WMA Meatu 6istri#t
1$ Mbarang+andu WMA =amtumbo 6istri#t
1' =garambe>Tapi(a WMA ?ufi@i 6istsri#t
14 2a%aga>8dodi WMA 8ringa 6istri#t
1: ?andilen WMA Monduli 6istri#t
16 Tunduru WMA Tunduru 6istri#t
1; A(utu WMA Morogoro 6istri#t
1& Ayumbu WMA Arambo 6istri#t
1! Wami>Mbi(i WMA Morogoro, 5agamoyo B Mvomero 6istri#ts