CONSERVING WILDLIFE, FORESTS WITH PEOPLE’S SUPPORT

Few villagers today conduct indiscriminate hunting of wildlife in national parks in their neighborhood after the government started vigorous programmes to involve them in wildlife conservation exercise.
The exercise may have begun decades ago, but the last five years have seen more efforts by the government to reap the wealth potential that has been in the wild from time immemorial.
Tourism as one of the sources of revenues from the wildlife and other natural resources has a result attracted much attention of the state to give the people education about the potential wealth buried in their surrounding areas.
Awareness of how to exploit their environment with only some care and a little love has drowned much effort and enthusiasm from them resulting in big rewards.
Among the chief beneficiaries are women who as a means of emancipation have taken to beekeeping mostly in the districts of Babati, Handeni, Uyui and Manyoni.
Such efforts are commendable development in keeping with the government’s policy to empower women to avert their suppression and oppression.
Such economic goals prompted in the past five years the conception of awareness programmes to empower the people and attract them into considerable participation in wildlife conservation.
The period beginning from 2006 to date saw a noticeable growth of such programmes. Reforestation projects were initiated and matching plans to make people sustain the exercise of tree planting were drawn.
The effort has paid in profitable tourism that has benefitted the local communities in various parts of the country. Deliberate efforts to prove to the local communities the benefits of wildlife and forests conservation have been necessary.
Investment to exploit other potentials of the wild like lions in the country has also taken a good pace. Education to the people to empower them in that area has been a significant factor the government has provided to the people.
BY SALMA KAGYA