SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF THE IPOLE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

Community-based natural resources management, Income-generating activities (beekeeping, wild mushrooms, fishing, livestock keeping), Capacity building of local partners

JUMUIYA YA HIFADHI YA WANYAMAPORI IPOLE (JUHIWAI), the association that represents the villages of Ipole, Msuva, Idekamiso, Utimule, Ugunda, and Mwamulu

Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT), Tanzania Forest Services (TFS), Sikonge District Council, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland- (HEPIA Geneva), Adansonia Consulting.

The Ipole WMA contains functional ecosystems that provide natural resources for use in a sustainable way by the populations of the eight villages.

The Ipole wildlife management area (WMA) which covers 2540 km², is an ecological corridor between several protected areas and harbors different ecosystems and important wildlife populations (buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard, giraffe). The authorized association that manages the Ipole WMA, JUHIWAI, does not have the means to manage the entire area effectively. This results in environmental degradation and loss of income for the villages that own the land. The natural products collected in the WMA by the local population are not certified to be sold on the retail market and are of insufficient quality to command a good price.

The first phase of the project will strengthen the institutional, administrative, material, and financial capacities of the local partner, JUHIWAI, through training by Tanzanian partners and ongoing technical support. The project will also support the compliance of legal documents, necessary for the proper management of the reserve. To improve the added-value chains of natural products, the project will facilitate the acquisition of equipment and provide training to beekeepers, mushroom pickers, and fishermen. It will also seek to reduce conflicts between users by supporting land use plans and bringing together the natural resources stakeholders.