Amani Nature Reserve Gazetted on 9 May 1997

The Government of Tanzania has legally gazetted the Amani Nature Reserve in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania on 9 May 1997 for the protection of the biodiversity and endemic plants and animals of these sub-montane rain forests.

The legal establishment was published in the special supplement to the Gazette of the United Republic of Tanzania no. 19, vol. 78 dated 9 May 1997 as Government Notice no. 151 (Rules) and 152 (Declaration Order).

Introduction

The East Usambara rain forests are one of the most valuable conservation areas in Africa and one of the biodiversity hot spots and centres of plant diversity of the world. Their biological significance has been compared to the Galapagos Islands. The East Usambara mountains are known world wide for the diversity of flora and fauna, and for the exceptionally high degree of endemic plants and animals found in the forests. These rain forests also secure the water supply for 200,000 people in Tanga, and local people in the mountains depend on the forests for many of their daily needs.

The East Usambara Catchment Forest Project (EUCFP) has worked in the East Usambaras mountains since 1990 with the mission to protect these natural forests. The project aims at establishing the Amani Nature Reserve (ANR); protecting water sources; establishing and protecting forest reserves; sustaining villager's benefits from the forest; and rehabilitating the Amani Botanical Garden. The project is implemented by the Forestry and Beekeeping Division (FBD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT) with financial support from the Government of Finland, and implementation support from the Forest and Park Service (FPS). The total financial support for the two first phases 1991-98 amounts to a total of 6.1 million USD or about 3.6 billion Tshs.

The Amani Nature Reserve

The establishment of a nature reserve in Amani, the area with most endemic plants, was officially proposed in 1988 by the Finnish supported Amani Forest Inventory and Management Plan Project. In 1992 the EUCFP prepared a frame plan for the establishment and management of the ANR, and in collaboration with the IUCN Law Centre the legal aspects of the establishment of nature reserves were studied. The survey and mapping of the ANR was completed in 1994. The total area of the ANR will be 8,380 ha, which includes 1,065 ha of forests owned by the private tea companies under the management of the East Usambara Tea Company. It also includes the Amani Botanical Garden, which was established in 1902 and still is one of the largest botanical gardens in Africa. The official and legal establishment of the ANR was completed with the publication of the Amani Nature Reserve Declaration Order (Government Notice no. 152) and the accompanying Rules (Government Notice no. 151) in the Government Gazette 78 (19) of 9 May 1997.

The objective with the Amani Nature Reserve is as stated in the Rules is: 1. to protect the unique, biologically important sub-montane rain forest ecosystem of the East Usambara mountains, 2. to maintain biodiversity, genetic resources, natural processes and cultural values in an undisturbed, dynamic and evolutionary state in order to have an ecologically representative example of the Eastern Arc forest ecosystem available for present and future generations, scientific study, environmental monitoring, education, and sustainable and controlled local and recreational use.

Presently Tanga Region lacks major tourist attractions although it is neighbouring the well known northern circuit in Tanzania with spectacular assets such as Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro and Serengeti. The Amani Nature Reserve has all the potential to become an equally important attraction. If well planned, this can on the long-term bring considerable benefits both to the local communities in the East Usambara mountains and the Tanga Region. The project has since 1994 developed visitors and tourists services partly in collaboration with private companies. This includes the development of forest trails, trail guides, and signboards to direct visitors. Recently the rehabilitation of an old German Station master's house, which was built between 1905 and 1910, was completed and converted into the Amani Nature Reserve Information Centre. This includes a small six-room resthouse. A tourist map and a guidebook for Amani Nature Reserve and the East Usambaras is among the new information material being developed.

One of the major tasks of the EUCFP in 1997 is to prepare a management plan for the ANR. The planning exercise will involve the local people and other land owners and stake holders in the East Usambara area. The international status of the ANR will be upgraded; a Man and Biosphere Reserve or Global Heritage Site status will be considered. The Amani Nature Reserve may soon be part of the image that Tanzania presents to the world, and we hope that in the near future people abroad will associate the Amani Nature Reserve with Tanzania just as they do with Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro or Serengeti.

Conservation of the East Usambara forests

The forest cover in the East Usambara area is about 45,000 ha or about 50% of the land area. Some of these forests have been protected in forest reserves since the turn of the century and many go back to the 1930's and 1950's. The project has worked to consolidate these protected forests and presently about 33,000 ha is within the forest reserves. Commercial harvesting and pitsawying has been banned and the project has been successful in containing encroachment and other illegalities in the area. Since 1992 EUCFP has surveyed more than 12,000 ha of natural forests which will be legally protected. A present update of the land use information shows that at present the protected area is about 74% of the total forest area; 65% in sub-montane rain forest, and 78% in the lowland forest. This means that 11-12,000 ha of forest remain outside formal, legal protection.

People and forest conservation

People in the East Usambaras depend on the forests. The major challenge for the EUCFP is participatory management of these forests. Management means mainly discussing and agreeing with the local communities on their needs and how these needs should be met, whether from the public land forests or from the forest reserves. The EUCFP has made efforts to strengthen villagers rights to manage their own forests. Farm forestry activities have been started in a number of pilot villages in an effort to develop a strategy to improve local land husbandry. The EUCFP has also started to work with environmental education in primary schools by involving elders and "forest specialists" in the villages. More emphasis has been given to farm forestry and extension activities since 1995.

Conclusion

The main mission of the East Usambara Catchment Forest Project, in collaboration with the local communities and other stake holders, is to protect the natural forests in the East Usambara mountains. This can only be done by harmonising the needs of the local people with the conservation objectives. Successful conservation of these valuable forests can only be achieved with local support, and through sustainable financial arrangements and benefits. Presently there is light in the tunnel and the project has made a substantial contribution to the protection of this globally important asset. However, there are still many issues that may require continued external support. Through the support to the conservation of the East Usambara forests the Government of Tanzania together with the Government of Finland have taken concrete action in line with the Biodiversity Convention and the commitments made at the Conference of Environment and Development in Rio.