SUSTAINABLE AND INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF THE

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1 Ministry of Foreign Affairs DANIDA Environment, Peace and Stability Facility Environmental Support Programme PROJECT DOCUMENT SUSTAINABLE AND INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF THE MALAGARASI-MUYOVOZI RAMSAR SITE Tanzania Ref. No Tanzania.1.Mika.1.e November 1999 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

2 Country : Tanzania Sector : Environment Title of Project : Sustainable and Integrated Management of the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site (SIMMORS) National Agency : Wildlife Division (WD), Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT) Implementing Partners : District Executive Director (DED) in collaboration with i.a. the District Natural Resources Office, Urambo District Council, Kigoma Rural District Council, NGOs, Community Based Organisations (CBOs), private sector and research organisations Duration : 4 Years (Phase 1) Starting date : June 2000 Overall Budget Frame : DKK million GoT Contribution : DKK million Description: The Malagarasi-Muyovozi wetlands in north-west Tanzania are of economic, social and environmental importance. The wetlands constitute important sources of fish, dry season grazing land, honey, timber and non-timber forest products utilised by the local communities. The wetlands also constitute a critical watershed and are internationally recognised as areas of high biodiversity. Demographic changes have exacerbated the uncontrolled harvesting of natural resources and together with ineffective management of the existing protected area network are the main threats to the wetlands. A key element of the GoT s new Wildlife and Forest Policies (1998) is the emphasis placed on active community participation in the protection, management and use of protected areas currently managed by central and local government authorities. The development objective of the SIMMORS Project is to consolidate and improve the conservation of the Malagarasi- Muyovozi wetland ecosystem and to improve the welfare and living standards of the communities living within and around the wetlands. The support proposed conforms to Tanzania s Development Vision 2025 and the GoT s overriding concerns of alleviating poverty, reducing environmental degradation and decentralizing government services. The intermediate objective of the SIMMORS Project is to contribute to the strengthening of the policy, institutional, legislative and fiscal frameworks at national and district levels to promote the conservation and sustainable use of Tanzania s wetlands. The support will assist the GoT in meeting its obligations vis à vis the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. The immediate objectives of the SIMMORS Project during a four year Phase 1 are: To facilitate the preparatory stages of a long-term process which will promote the sustainable and integrated management of the Malagarasi-Muyovozi wetland area thereby assisting the GoT in fulfilling its obligations pursuant to the country s accession to the Ramsar Convention. To develop, test and implement sustainable natural resource management models in partnership with local communities in pilot areas of Urambo District and a limited part of Kigoma Rural District (Lakes Sagara and Nyamagoma) within the Malagarasi-Muyovozi wetland area. The support proposed conforms to the GoT s Policy Paper on Local Government Reform and National Environment, Wildlife and Forest Policies. These all provide general guidance on improving natural resource management. The support proposed will develop more specific and operational frameworks and guidelines to: develop and implement wetland resource management activities in pilot areas and to define a framework and strategy for future expansion into other areas within the first and, potentially, additional Ramsar Sites and secure a more systematic integration of environmental concerns in district development planning and plans in Urambo and Kigoma Rural District Councils. Signatures:

3 .. Ambassador Royal Danish Embassy Dar es Salaam Director Wildlife Division Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism

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5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background The Government of Tanzania (GoT) has made considerable progress during the 1990s in terms of developing the strategic and institutional framework for environmental management. The achievements have included the preparation of a National Conservation Strategy for Sustainable Development and a National Environmental Action Plan, the establishment of an Environment Division and a National Environment Management Council (now) within the Vice President s Office and the development of new Environment, Wildlife, Forestry, Fisheries, Beekeeping and Local Government policy frameworks. In February 1999, the GoT endorsed the country s accession to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. Additional efforts are still required particularly in terms of reforms of attendant legislation and regulations, improvements in institutional arrangements, the development of sustainable financing mechanisms and meeting the obligations of being a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention. Tanzania has been selected as one of the countries in the Southern African region to benefit from the Environment, Peace and Stability Facility (EPSF) provided by the Danish Government. The priority thematic areas of Danish environmental assistance to Tanzania are supporting the existing efforts of the GoT: To strengthen collaborative natural resource management and biodiversity conservation with reference to wildlife, forest and woodland and wetland resources To improve urban environmental management in four towns Tanzania s Vision 2025 The over-riding vision of the GoT is to alleviate the widespread poverty in the Tanzanian civil society by improving socio-economic opportunities, public sector performance and environmental management. Vision 2025 s Overall Development Goal specifically includes reference to a sustainable development endeavour, on inter-generation equity basis, such that the present generation derives benefits from the rational use of natural resources of the country without compromising the needs of future generations. Vision 2025, furthermore, explicitly recognises the need to attain an appropriate balance between public sector and other institutions, the continued reorientation of the rôle of government, the enhanced rôle of the private sector and increased capacity building efforts. Importance of the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Wetlands The Malagarasi-Muyovozi wetlands are recognized for their economic, social and environmental importance.the wetland complex includes lakes, rivers, permanent swamps, seasonally-inundated floodplains and large areas of miombo woodland. The wetlands constitute important sources of natural resources utilised by the local communities, fulfill several critical hydrological functions and are internationally recognised as areas of high biodiversity. Resident and threatened species of particular significance include the shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), wattled crane (Bugeranus carunculatus) and sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei). The major threats to the wetlands include the continuing clearance of woodlands to create new agricultural land (notably for tobacco cultivation) and to provide grazing areas for livestock, the unsustainable - and often illegal - use of the wildlife, forest, grassland and fisheries resources, the settlement of long-term refugees bordering, and within, protected areas, the widespread incidence of bush fires and the quasi-absence of any effective controls and/or integrated natural resource management planning. Sustainable and Integrated Management of the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site (SIMMORS) Project The development objective of the SIMMORS Project is to consolidate and improve the conservation of the Malagarasi-Muyovozi wetland ecosystem and to improve the welfare and living standards of rural and urban communities living within and around the wetland area. The intermediate objective of the Project is to contribute to the strengthening of the policy, institutional, legislative and fiscal frameworks at national and district levels to promote the conservation and sustainable use of Tanzania s wetlands.

6 The immediate objectives of the SIMMORS Project during Phase 1 are: To facilitate a process leading to the sustainable and integrated management of the Malagarasi- Muyovozi wetland area thereby assisting the GoT to meet its obligations following the country s accession to the Ramsar Convention and the designation of this area as the first Ramsar Site. To develop, test and implement sustainable natural resource management models in partnership with local communities in pilot areas of two districts within the Malagarasi-Muyovozi wetland area. The outputs of the SIMMORS Project during Phase 1 are: Boundaries of the whole Ramsar Site clearly established and initial measures to maintain the integrity and ecological character of the Site undertaken. Draft conservation/sustainable use strategy for the Malagarasi-Muyovozi wetlands and adjacent buffer zones prepared and submitted to MNRT by the end of year 3. Draft integrated management plans for 2-3 priority management zones within the Ramsar Site agreed with key stakeholders and presented to authorities for approval. Successful implementation of the Awareness and Capacity Development Plan in targeted management zones to enable implementation of the management plans. Establishment of at least two medium-term collaborative applied research projects/programmes to address priority management needs of the Ramsar Site. Production of a draft conservation/utilisation plan for priority species and preparation of three individual species/species group management plans. At least 10 sub-village wetland/environmental committees constituted or strengthened and functioning in up to 5 villages within two pilot areas in Urambo and Kigoma Rural Districts by year 3. Two Community-Based Conservation plans based on the principles of Wildlife Management Areas and/or Joint Forest Management prepared and implemented within the two pilot areas of Urambo and Kigoma Rural Districts by year 3. Up to 20 pilot community development micro-projects developed and initiated by year 4 with a broad range of local community producer groups or associations in the two pilot areas in Urambo and Kigoma Rural Districts. A provisional community-based wetland resource monitoring and evaluation system, including verifiable indicators for environmental, social and economic objectives, developed in collaboration with Urambo District Council by year 2 and tested in two villages during year 3. The support proposed conforms to the GoT s Policy Paper on Local Government Reform, National Environment Policy, Wildlife Policy of Tanzania, National Bee-keeping Policy and the National Forest Policy. The Project will lay particular emphasis on: creating an enabling environment to progressively transfer responsibility for wetland resource management to the resource users themselves; increasing self-reliance throughout the natural resource sectors through progressive improvements in the valuation, pricing and marketing of natural resources. The activities during an initial one year Inception Period of a four year Phase 1 of the Project will be concentrated on obtaining all baseline information required to assist the GoT in completing the accession process, in initiating the management planning process of the proposed Ramsar Site and planning for a limited number of field activities during a subsequent three year Implementation Period. Community development field activities should, in the first place, be concentrated in one district (i.e. Urambo) and with provision for some activities in the neighbouring Kigoma Rural District to facilitate:

7 the preparatory processes for the sustainable and integrated management of the Lake Sagara area and, potentially, Lake Nyamagoma the testing of inter-district collaboration and coordination on wetland management issues. A joint GoT/Royal Danish Embassy assessment will be undertaken after the one year Inception Period to assess the achievement of specified milestones and to agree and finalize a detailed implementation plan for the three year implementation period. A mid-term review will subsequently be carried out in year 3 or early year 4 which will also assist in the process of preparing for an eventual second phase of the SIMMORS Project. The first 4 year phase of the Project will provide the GoT with lessons learned for potential future expansion of field activities, the development of models for inter-district collaboration on wetlands management and soliciting complementary donor funding. The Project s key guiding principles will be to: Foster ownership by strengthening existing Tanzanian institutions Facilitate management of the wetland resources at the lowest appropriate level Encourage the wise use of the wetlands through greater active local community participation in the protection, management and use of natural resources currently protected/managed by the central and local government authorities Promote the use and management of all wetland resources as economic and social goods and environmental assets.

8 Table of Contents Cover Page Table of Contents Maps of Tanzania and the Malagarasi-Muyowozi Ramsar Site List of Abbreviations Executive Summary 1 Introduction Background Development and Environment Assistance to Tanzania Events and Processes leading to the Project Description Project Appraisal 4 2 Context Obligations pursuant to accession to the Ramsar Conventio Government Achievements and Commitments Characteristics of, and Threats to, the Ramsar Site Status of Government Reform Programmes 13 3 Visions, Opportunities and Barriers Visions and Opportunities Guiding Principles End-of-Project Situation Changed Organisational Capabilities Use of Possible Investments Existing and Future Funding Sources Target Groups Special Windows of Opportunity Problems, Obstacles and Barriers 21 4 Government Management of the Element and Inputs from Government and other sources Government of Tanzania Inputs District Management and Authority Structure National Advisory and Authority Structure Inputs from Other Sources 31 5 Logical Framework Analysis of the Project 33

9 5.1 Development Objective Intermediate Objectives Immediate Objectives Milestones to be Achieved by the end of the Inception Period Outputs Activity Outline Inputs by Danida Implementation Strategy Budget Assumptions, Risks and Preconditions Indicators and Means of Verification 51 6 Implementation Procedures Organization, Management and Administration Monitoring and Review, Reporting and Evaluation Flow of Funds, Accounting and Auditing Project Implementation Plan 56 1 INTRODUCTION

10 1.1 Background Environmental aspects in Danish Official Development Assistance (ODA) have been accorded a high priority during the past decade. The publication of the World Commission on Environment and Development report (the Brundtland Report) in 1987 prompted the preparation of Danida s Plan of Action for Environment and Development between In 1992, the Danish Government decided to strengthen its efforts to promote environmentally sustainable development in the wake of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. A new Environment, Peace and Stability Facility (EPSF) 1 was created over and above existing ODA funding. A Secretariat for Environmentally Sustainable Development, within the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was established in Development and Environment Assistance to Tanzania The Tanzanian and Danish authorities have agreed on the selection of four sectors of concentration for future ODA, viz., health, (road) transport, agriculture and the private sector. Additional details on development assistance are presented in: Strategy for Danish-Tanzania Development Cooperation (Danida, 1997). In Danish ODA environment is usually considered as a cross-cutting issue which is addressed as an integral part of mainstream sectors. In the context of EPSF, however, environment is considered as a sector and environment projects and programmes are to be prepared in accordance with both general and regional EDRF strategies, viz., Strategy for Danish Environmental Assistance (Danida-Danced, 1996) Strategy for Danish Environmental Assistance to Southern Africa (Danida-Danced, 1997). Further details on environment and development assistance to Tanzania between are presented in: Tanzania. Environmental Profile (Danida, 1989) Environment and Development: Tanzania Country Study (Danida Evaluation Report 1996/2) Tanzania has been selected as one of the countries in the Southern African region to benefit from the EPSF. Several projects within the programme have already been identified and implemented since The indicative EPSF budget frame for Tanzania for the period amounts to 388m DKK (ca. US $ 55.4m). The priority components for environmental assistance to Tanzania were agreed upon during a preparatory meeting held on 12 March 1999 and the subsequent Annual Consultations between the Governments of Tanzania and Denmark convened between March These are support for: Collaborative Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity Conservation encompassing forest, wildlife and wetland resources Urban Environmental Management in four towns A window of opportunity for the development of wind enrgy resources. Further details are presented in the Environmental Support Programme document for 1 2 Formerly known as the Environment and Disaster Relief Facility (EDRF) Agreed Minutes of the Annual Consultations on Development and Economic Cooperation between Tanzania and Denmark held in Dar es Salaam on March 1999 pp

11 Tanzania for the period (Danida, 1999h). 1.3 Events and Processes leading to the Project Description In 1995, the Government of Tanzania (GoT), with assistance from Danida, identified potential areas of interest for EPSF assistance within the framework of the National Environmental Action Plan. A First Step and the draft National Environment Policy (URT, 1994a and 1994b). The preliminary priority areas of interest for ESPF assistance to Tanzania were specified in: Study on Danish Strategy for Regional Environment Cooperation in Southern Africa. Country Note for Tanzania (VKI and Associates, August 1995). These initial ideas were explored and both natural resource management and urban environmental management projects were initiated in Tanzania after Danida subsequently developed a first more coherent framework for environmental support to Tanzania, viz., EDRF Programme Support Document (Danida, July 1998). Throughout the 1990s several wetlands initiatives have been undertaken by the GoT sometimes with assistance from the donor community. These have included: Meeting on a National Wetlands Programme for Tanzania (29 March 1990) Development of a Wetland Conservation and Management Programme for Tanzania (NEMC/WWF/IUCN, 1991) Seminar on Wetlands of Tanzania (27-29 November 1991) Publication of Wetlands of Tanzania (Proceedings of a Seminar on Wetlands of Tanzania. Kamukala and Crafter, 1993) The Malagarasi/Moyowosi/Kigosi/Ugalla Riverine Wetland Ecosystem. A Wetland of the United Republic of Tanzania to be included in the List of Wetlands of International Importance as the first Ramsar Site (Wildlife Division within the (then) Ministry of Tourism, Natural Resources and Environment, April 1994) National Workshop on the Development of a Wetland Policy for Tanzania (17-18 May 1996). These earlier initiatives did not result in a critical mass of political interest in, or support for, either the country s accession to the Ramsar Convention or the development of a coherent national wetlands programme. This was due, in part, to a lack of clarity regarding institutional mandates and responsibilities. During the late 1990s renewed interest in Tanzania s wetlands by the GoT culminated in the Parliamentary endorsement of the United Republic of Tanzania s accession to the Ramsar Convention in February The growing understanding of the values, benefits and functions of wetlands, their socio-economic importance and prospects for sustainable utilization have resulted in several recent GoT and donor-supported wetland initiatives in Tanzania. These have included: Proposal for a National Wetlands Programme (Arcadis/Euroconsult/Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1998) National Wetlands Programme Proposal (Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, May 1998) National Wetland Awareness Programme (National Environmental Management Council, no date) Wetlands Programme in the River Basin Management Component of RBMSIIP (Ministry of Water, 18 May 1998) Moyowosi, Kigosi and Ugalla Game Reserves (Malagarasi Ramsar) (Wildlife Division, December 1998)

12 Malagarasi Ramsar Site Conservation and Environmental Management Project Proposal (Conservation Development Company and Frankfurt Zoological Society, August Revised and updated in February 1999) The Government of Denmark received a formal request for assistance in supporting the Moyowosi, Kigosi and Ugalla Game Reserves (Malagarasi Ramsar) from the Wildlife Division (WD) within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT) in December Danida subsequently agreed to finance a formulation mission which was conducted in May 1999 and resulted in the preparation of the following in July 1999: Sustainable and Integrated Management of the Malagarasi-Moyowosi Ramsar Site (SIMMORS) Draft Project Document (Pre-Appraisal Stage) (Danida, 1999a) Annexes and Appendices for the Draft Project Document (Danida, 1999b) Incorporation of Comments to the Draft Project Document (Danida, 1999c) Appraisal Note (Danida, 1999d). In addition, the Danish Embassy commissioned a complementary study to assist the appraisal of the SIMMORS Project Document, viz., Study on the Natural Basis for Community Wetland Utilisation in Malagarasi Tanzania (Danida, August 1999) The SIMMORS Project constitutes one sub-component of Danida s Environmental Support Programme to Tanzania financed through the EPSF. Additional planned EPSF activities include potential support for a second wetland area to be nominated by the GoT. 1.4 Sustainable and Integrated Management of the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site Project Appraisal An appraisal of the draft SIMMORS Project document was undertaken in Tanzania between August The objectives of the Appraisal Mission concerning the SIMMORS Project were: to assess the existing background information including a study on Luganzo and Gombe Game Controlled Areas (GCAs), the Project Proposal forwarded by the Wildlife Division and the Draft ProDoc prepared by the formulation/pre-appraisal mission. This assessment should be made in view of major Tanzanian and Danish policies and the situation in the project area as far as the relationship between human activities and natural resource management is concerned; to compile and assess additional information from all relevant stakeholders deemed relevant for the preparation of a Final Draft ProDoc in accordance with Danida guidelines and advise on the relevance and feasibility of Danish support to the Project; provided that the above mentioned assessments were positive, to prepare a ProDoc for Danish support to the Sustainable and Integrated Management of the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site. The appraisal of the July 1999 draft SIMMORS ProDoc took into account all comments to the proposal, a historical review of earlier wetlands initiatives in Tanzania, the outcomes of the stakeholder meetings conducted with i.a. local government representatives in Tabora and Kigoma Regions, the key resolutions which emerged from the 7 th Conference of Contracting Parties (COP7) to the Ramsar Convention and recent developments in Tanzania which will have a bearing on the future institutional arrangements for the Project, viz.,

13 the publication of the Development Vision 2025 for Tanzania in 1998; the Cabinet approval of the new Wildlife Policy and Forest Policy in March 1998 and the anticipated promulgation of attendant legislation; the Parliamentary endorsement of Tanzania s accession to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in February 1999 and, consequently, the limited awareness of the Convention, particularly within local government structures and the Tanzanian civil society; the on-going Institutional and Legal Framework for Environmental Management Project within the Vice President s Office; the GoT's overriding policy to decentralize the functions of government departments and the passing of the Local Government (Misc. Amendments) Act in April 1999; the on-going civil service reforms and fiscal constraints of the GoT. The present SIMMORS Project Description has been based on an analysis and an assessment of historical precedents, the Wildlife Division s original proposal, the draft Project Description and discussions with local government representatives. Key issues discussed during two one-day stakeholder meetings with representatives of seven district councils and other Non-Governmental, Community-Based and private sector organisations working in the districts bordering the Malagarasi- Muyovozi wetlands included: natural resource management problems and strategies for the proposed Ramsar Site; how to establish an effective institutional framework for wetlands management; financial arrangements for activities for conservation and the distribution of costs and benefits associated with the future conservation and management of the site including micro-projects for improved sustainable livelihoods. A reconnaisance flight was conducted over the Ramsar Site on 17 August Further details of the appraisal are presented in the: Inception Note presented to the Danish Embassy on 09 August 1999 (PEMconsult A/S, 1999a) Debriefing Note presented to the Danish Embassy and MNRT on 20 August 1999 (PEMconsult A/S, 1999b) SIMMORS Project Appraisal Report (Danida, 1999e). The Sustainable and Integrated Management of the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site Project document has been prepared following the guidelines provided in Annex 5 (Component Description) of Danida s Guidelines for Sector Programme Support (Danida, May 1998). A list of documents consulted and references cited in the Project Description is presented in Annex 1. 2 CONTEXT 2.1 Obligations pursuant to accession to the Ramsar Convention The importance of wetlands in Tanzania and the need to consider accession to The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Full name: Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat [Ramsar, Iran; 1971] ) has been highlighted for almost a decade by various agencies within the Government of Tanzania. Already in 1994, the Wildlife Division within

14 the (then) Ministry of Tourism, Natural Resources and Environment initiated the formal process of accession to the Convention and the nomination of the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Wetlands as a Ramsar Site. In February 1999, following extensive consultations within the government, the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania approved the government s accession to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The Parliament also approved the designation of the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Wetlands as the first Ramsar Site. The Instrument of Accession was subsequently signed by the President and was dispatched through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to UNESCO, the official repository of the Convention. A certified copy of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat and a copy of the official Information Sheet describing the Malagarasi- Muyovozi Ramsar Site in Tanzania are presented in Annex 2. The Convention will come into force in Tanzania four months after the receipt of the Instrument of Accession by UNESCO. Through accession to the Convention, Tanzania has taken on a number of specific obligations which include the following four main areas as specifically mentioned in successive articles of the Convention text: 1. Designation and protection of at least one Ramsar site (Article 2 of the Convention) Each party must designate at least one site for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance and parties are obliged to maintain the ecological character of these sites. Guidelines have been adopted under the Convention to assist the preparation of management plans and for the monitoring of ecological character. This obligation also involves the development of necessary zoning or catchment management plans. Detailed guidelines for the integration of wetland conservation and wise use into river basin management ( Resolution VII.18) were approved in May The Ramsar Convention Guidelines for establishing and strengthening local communities and indigenous people s participation in the management of wetlands (Resolution VII.8) and Incentive measures to encourage the application of the wise use principle (Resolution VII.15) are presented in Annex Promotion of the Wise Use of all Wetlands in Tanzania (Article 3 of the Convention) This obligation relates to Article 3 of the Convention and the associated Wise Use Guidelines ( Recommendation IV.10/Resolution V.6). This obligation includes requirements to formulate and implement planning so as to promote wise use of wetlands and includes the development of national wetland policies and creation of interagency wetland committees as well as enhancing knowledge of wetlands and their values and taking action at specific sites. 3 Resolutions adopted at the 7 th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands, San José, Costa Rica, May 1999.

15 3. Establishment of wetland protected areas and strengthening associated institutions (Article 4 of the Convention) Parties are required to promote the conservation of wetlands through the establishment of protected areas and provide necessary training/support to staff of appropriate agencies related to wetland protection, management and research. 4. International Cooperation (Article 5 of the Convention) Contracting parties are obliged to consult with other parties about implementation of the convention especially as regards to transboundary wetlands, shared river basins, shared/migratory species and development assistance and other funding flows. More detailed guidelines for the implementation of Article 5 were adopted at COP7 in May 1999 ( Resolution VII.19). In addition to the formal obligations included in the text of the Convention, the parties through the adoption of nearly 115 resolutions and recommendations and a rolling six-year strategic plan have agreed on a broad range of other actions and strategies to be undertaken by each Contracting Party to the Convention. The most important of these are documented in the 1997 edition of the Ramsar Convention Manual (Ramsar Convention Bureau, 1997) and in the proceedings of the recent Seventh Conference of Contracting Parties to the Convention (Ramsar Convention Bureau, 1999). One which is particularly relevant to this project is the agreement on the priority for awareness campaigns on the value of wetlands targeted at the general public, local communities living in and around Ramsar sites and key decision makers. 2.2 Government Achievements and Commitments The GoT has made considerable progress during the 1990s in terms of developing the strategic and institutional framework for environmental management. The achievements have included the preparation of a National Conservation Strategy for Sustainable Development and a National Environmental Action Plan, the establishment of an Environment Division and a National Environment Management Council (now) within the Vice President s Office and the development of new Environment, Wildlife, Forestry and Local Government policy frameworks. In 1999, the GoT also endorsed the country s accession to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.Additional GoT efforts are still required particularly in terms of the reforms of both cross-sectoral and sectoral legislation and institutions and the development of sustainable financing mechanisms. 4 Further details are provided in section 2.4 below. The integrity of large parts of the Malagarasi-Muyovozi wetlands has been successfully maintained during the past forty years. This is due, in large part, to earlier conservation efforts which have established i.a. an effective network of buffer Forest Reserves around the wetland ecosystem and, 4 See, for example, Sector Review Meeting with Donors who support public programmes under MNRT (Luhanjo, 25 January 1999) and Report on Institutional Mandates and Legal Framework for Environmental Management in Tanzania (Lawyers Environmental Action Team, July 1999).

16 after 1983, the Moyowosi-Kigosi and Ugalla Game Reserves (the latter was, however, already gazetted in 1965). Ulyankulu Forest Reserve in Urambo District is the exception to this general rule; the reserve has lost an estimated 70% of the originally gazetted area due to a Ministry of Home Affairs decision to settle Burundi refugees inside the forest reserve boundaries some 27 years ago. 5 The scenario of no-intervention poses a long-term risk to the Malagarasi-Muyovozi ecosystem and as such a consolidated effort (i.e. GoT with multiple donor assistance) will be necessary to protect the system and develop sustainable management systems which take into account the needs of local communities as well as maintaining conservation interests and the ecosystem functions and values of the wetlands. The Malagarasi-Muyovozi wetlands present one of the most important wetland ecosystems in Eastern and Southern Africa. They also play an important rôle in the Malagarasi River Basin which constitutes about one third of the catchment area for Lake Tanganyika. The magnitude of the proposed site, the limited previous experience in the planning and management of wetland areas in Tanzania, the complexity of the socio-economic situation in the area, the outstanding gaps in available data and information and the enormous logistical problems of operating in the wetland areas will, however, necessitate the adoption of a cautious and incremental approach to the development of the wetlands as a Ramsar site. 2.3 Characteristics of and Threats to the Ramsar Site Characteristics and Values The Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site is a vast and complex riverine floodplain wetland in the basin of the Malagarasi River in North West Tanzania. It is one of the largest and most important wetlands in East Africa. The Ramsar Site covers an estimated area of 3.25 million ha. The core area of the Ramsar Site comprises lakes and open water in the dry season covering about 250,000ha, together with a permanent papyrus swamp of about 200,000 ha with large peripheral flood plains that fluctuate widely on a yearly basis depending on the amount of rainfall but cover up to 1.5 million ha. The wetland habitats are surrounded by extensive miombo woodlands and wooded grasslands. The Malagarasi River basin is one of the largest river basins in Tanzania and covers in excess of 12 million ha. The majority of the upper catchment has been developed for agriculture ( shifting cultivation primarily of cassava and cash crops mainly tobacco and grazing land) with the remainder as forest. The lower catchment tends to remain as forest, grassland or wetland systems, but with increasing levels of conversion and utilisation for agriculture. The wetland system can be divided into three components the northern portion comprising permanent swamps, lakes and floodplains along the Malagarasi, Moyowosi and Gombe Rivers. The core permanent swamp area is associated with the main rivers of the system with large seasonally inundated floodplains. The central portion comprises an extensive floodplain/lake/swamp system which occurs along the Zibwe River and Lake Sagara (93,000 ha) and extensive floodplains and swamps to the south-east towards the Ugalla River. The southern portion of the wetland continues south and south-east following the Ugalla/Wala River system and expanding into a very large floodplain to the south east of Ugalla Game Reserve.. The main wetland habitat types found at the site are (in order of approximate area) seasonal floodplains and marshes, permanent swamps, seasonal freshwater lakes, permanent freshwater lakes, permanent rivers, non-forested peatlands, seasonal rivers and streams, and freshwater swamp forests. 5 See Study on the Natural Basis for Community Wetland Utlisation in Malagarasi-Tanzania (Danida, 1999e pp )

17 The wetland supports a number of vulnerable or endangered species including the Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus), African Elephant (Loxodonta africana), Sitaunga (Tragalephus spekei) and African Slender snouted Crocodile (Crocodylus cataphractus). Pollimyrus nigricans and Bryconaethiops boulenger are some of the rare fish species. In addition there are a number of endemic fish species in the system whose conservation status has not been determined. The Malagarasi-Muyovozi Wetland Ecosystem plays an important hydrological role in Western Tanzania. The main hydrological functions of the system are water storage, flood control, groundwater recharge, sediment retention and water purification. Flood storage in the wetland reduces downstream flooding in towns such as Uvinze and during the dry season the steady discharge of water supplements the dry season river flow. Permanent swamps and floodplains also play a role in groundwater recharge important to local water supply. The floodplains also play a role in trapping sediments carried by the major rivers in times of peak flow and hence improving water quality downstream and in Lake Tanganyika The wetland system has many important socio-economic values. Some of the most important include harvesting of wetland related products including fish, forest products, medicinal plants, honey and wildlife. Other values of importance to the local communities include flood control, water supply and dry season grazing Large numbers of fishing and bee-keeping camps operate throughout the Ramsar site during the dry season (July to December). Permanent fishing villages are present around some of the lakes such as Lake Sagara Management Status A majority of the site is gazetted as game reserve where the main landuse is nature conservation, together with fishing, beekeeping, sport hunting and seasonal grazing. Forest reserves are allocated for harvesting of timber and non-timber forest products and the land under the control of districts is divided between forests and lakes with extraction of forest products and fishing as the main land uses. In the surrounding area, the principal land uses in the lands in the central zone and to the west-east of the Ramsar Site on the district lands is agriculture either for subsistence farming ( primarily cassava), and cash crops (primarily tobacco). The forest reserves are allocated for extraction of forest products but some have been allocated or encroached for settlements or agricultural land. The hills to the northwest of the Site adjacent to the border with Burundi has been deforested in recent years particularly due to shifting agriculture and the large pressures resulting from the large influx of refugees from neighbouring countries The majority (95%)of the Ramsar Site is within protected areas game reserves and forest reserves while the balance is in district or village lands. 75% of the Ramsar Site lies within three game reserves ( Muyowosi and Kigosi Game Reserves - 2 million ha and Ugalla Game reserve 450,000 ha) A further area of about 650,000ha is found in the Mpanda Line, Ugunda and Swangala Forest Reserves The balance of about 150,000ha comprises land under the jurisdiction of the districts of Urambo and Kigoma Rural Districts. All of the areas outside the game reserves are included in several game controlled areas where hunting is controlled and subject to licencing. A summarised overview of the protected areas (Game Reserves, Game Controlled Areas and Forest Reserves) comprising and surrounding the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site is presented in Annex 4. The main protection offered by the game reserves is the status that prohibits settlement and access and all other activities are controlled by permit. The Wildlife Division has a total of about 50 staff to patrol the three game reserves but has no boats and only limited numbers of vehicles which makes patrolling of the area especially during the wet season difficult. A number of game posts

18 have been established around the reserves but the boundaries are incompletely marked and there are few access roads. The forest reserves come under the jurisdiction of the central government Forest and Beekeeping Division. However this Division has relatively few staff for patrolling of the area and enforcement of regulations. Some of the forest reserves such as the Mpanda Line Forest Reserve and the Ulyankulu Forest reserve have been encroached with nearly 200,000 ha of land ( outside of the Ramsar Site) being cleared or converted to agriculture land in the past 30 years. In game controlled areas, the only restriction is the prohibition of unauthorised hunting, and so there is no protection for habitats. Part of the Luganzo Game Controlled Area in the project site has been recommended for upgrading to game reserve status. A General Management Plan ( GMP) was prepared for Ugalla Game Reserve in 1995 and studies have been conducted in other areas. A broad range of conservation and management measures have been proposed for the three game reserves in various reports prepared in the past five years. Measures proposed include: Better control of hunting, fishing and bee keeping within the reserves to ensure sustainability; Upgrading of the game posts, roads and airfields and completion of boundary marking ; Recruitment of more staff and provision of necessary transport and communication equipment; Undertaking of ecological and baseline surveys of the reserves to enable better management and monitoring Conservation extension work and community involvement resettle the Watutsi livestock keeping village outside the Moyowosi Game reserve Unfortunately there has been little progress in implementing these measures- primarily due to lack of resources. Improved management of the Malagarasi River catchment and protection of the Malagarasi- Moyovozi Wetlands are identified priorities in the Strategic Action Plan prepared under the GEFfunded Lake Tanganika Biodiversity Project. This may lead to follow-up activities and provide a framework for coordinated efforts for the management of the catchment Threats Inspite of the GoT s achievements and commitment to improving the sustainable use and management of wetland resources, there are a number of potential threats to the proposed Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site. These include: the conversion of wetland areas into agricultural land and accompanying land degradation related to the cultivation of tobacco (particularly to the south-east of the proposed Ramsar Site); extensive burning of wetlands/grasslands within the core wetland area; conversion of papyrus swampland to cultivated land; illicit harvesting of forest products, wildlife resources and fish due, in part, to the large numbers of refugees distributed in camps along the western boundaries of the proposed site in Kigoma Region; the conversion of large areas of buffer miombo woodland along the north-east and eastern boundaries of the proposed site due to the expansion of cultivated lands and demand for charcoal;

19 livestock grazing and unsustainable harvesting of timber and non-timber forest products within the proposed Ramsar Site. According to land use maps prepared from satellite imagery in 1997 and from recent aerial and ground surveys, within the game reserves and the forest reserves in the Ramsar Site there is relatively little habitat destruction of the Ramsar Site through human activity other than by fires. The boundary of the Ramsar Site has been drawn to exclude any significant area of settlement or agricultural land. However, in the southern floodplains of the Moyowosi Game Reserve, Burundi Watutsi refugees and their cattle were settled in the early 1970 s. Fires set by the Watutsi and grazing by their cattle have caused a loss of trees and also affect areas of grassland and swamp. Other fires within the Ramsar Site are associated with hunting, honey gathering and fishing camps and can cause considerable damage. Continued expansion of tobacco cultivation could have significant long-term effects on the ecology of the wetland ecosystem. One other area of concern is the International Red Locust Control Programme (IRLCP) which has been intermittently spraying insecticides since the early 1950 s on the southern floodplains of the Moyowosi, in an effort to control large locust outbreaks. Spraying occurred as recently as The impact of this spraying programme is unknown. Fishing is licensed in the game reserve and game controlled areas, but enforcement is minimal and the proximity of the railway in the central part of the Ramsar site is stimulating a commercial market and consequent overexploitation of the resource. The Ramsar site is included in a list of nine heavily exploited or over-exploited fishery areas in Tanzania (Ministry of Water, Energy and Minerals, 1995). Heavy levels of poaching have been recorded in the area over the past 20 years and populations of some species of large mammal have been significantly reduced. The influx of refugees since 1994 has further impacted on the resources of the Ramsar Site. There are more than 10 refugee camps hosting an estimated refugees from Burundi and the Congo at various locations around the boundary of the Ramsar site (normally km from the boundary). The extra demands for food to feed these people has led to intensified cultivation of forest land and wetlands in surrounding areas and to increasing fishing and poaching pressure in the reserves. Farming practices cause siltation and pollution of rivers, which affects the primary production and the growth of the fish. The Ministry of Water identified the Malagarasi River System as one of three river basins in Tanzania with significant agrochemical pollution. 2.4 Status of Government Reform Programmes The Government of Tanzania has endorsed and approved two over-riding reform programmes during the 1990s which are of relevance to the SIMMORS Project, viz., The Civil Service Reform Programme (CSRP) The Local Government Reform Programme (LGRP) In accordance with the CSRP, the new organisational structure of the MNRT was approved by the Presidential Implementation Committee and comprises i.a. four technical divisions (Wildlife, Forestry and Beekeeping, Fisheries and Tourism). The Ministry has taken over its own restructuring and has created a Ministerial Reform Committee and three Technical Task Groups as the framework to implement the envisaged reforms in the MNRT. New policies have been prepared and approved for Wildlife, Forestry, Beekeeping and Fisheries which all advocate greater community involvement in the sustainable use and management of natural resources and the need to address poverty alleviation. The MNRT has also commissioned a study on the development of information management and communication systems to enable it to deliver its services more effectively and efficiently. The new organograms for the MNRT and Wildlife Division are presented in Annex 5.

20 As a result of jurisdictional overlaps in Tanzania s environmental and natural resource legislation, abuses of power, interference in decision-making and the marginalization of the public in decisionmaking processes have been widespread. However, in the context of the on-going Institutional and Legal Framework for Environmental Management Project within the Vice President s Office, various sectoral legislative and regulatory frameworks will be reviewed and revised in conformity with the to-be-approved national environmental legislative framework. The Wildlife, Forestry and Beekeeping and Fisheries Divisions are currently reviewing their legislative and regulatory frameworks The MNRT had a total of 33 parastatal organisations before reforms were initiated. To date, 20 parastatals have been privatised and the future establishment of Executive Agencies (including, potentially, Game Reserves) is being explored. The LGRP seeks to improve the quality of and access to public services provided through or facilitated by local government authorities. The LGRP has resulted in: the restructuring of the regional administration following the enactment of The Regional Administration Act No. 19 of 1997; the endorsement of a Policy Paper on Local Government Reform in October 1998; the enactment of The Local Government Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act No. 6 of 1999 which paves the way for the implementation of decentralized management of staff and the decentralization of finances; the establishment of a common Basket Fund for the joint programming and financing of the LGRP in October 1998; the preparation, appraisal and approval of a LGRP Action Plan and Budget for the period July 1999-December VISIONS, OPPORTUNITIES AND BARRIERS 3.1 Visions and Opportunities The vision of the United Republic of Tanzania vis à vis the proposed framework for the SIMMORS Project is framed by the Development Vision 2025 for Tanzania, the on-going Civil Service and Local Government Reform Programmes and the recently approved Wildlife and Forest policies. 6 The over-riding vision of the GoT is to alleviate the widespread poverty in the Tanzanian civil society by improving socio-economic opportunities, public sector performance and environmental management. Vision 2025 s Overall Development Goal specifically includes reference to a sustainable development endeavour, on inter-generation equity basis, such that the present generation derives benefits from the rational use of natural resources of the country without compromising the needs of future generations. Vision 2025, furthermore, explicitly recognises the need to attain an appropriate balance between public sector and other institutions, the continued reorientation of the rôle of government, the enhanced rôle of the private sector and increased capacity building efforts. The on-going public sector management reforms in Tanzania were initiated in 1986 after a long period of economic dislocation and uncertainty reflected in low and oscillating economic growth rates, high rates of inflation, rising unemployment, substantial budget deficits and external imbalances. The GoT s current restructuring 6 Further details are presented in The Wildlife Policy of Tanzania (URT, 1998a) and National Forest Policy (URT, 1998b).