Environmental Management

The United Republic of Tanzania

NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA AUTHORITY

The United Republic of Tanzania

NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
AUTHORITY

Environmental management in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area focuses on identifying and monitoring environmental changes in order to reduce waste, increase compliance, and minimize environmental deterioration. It was developed to address the environmental issues that are negatively affecting the area and have both a direct and indirect impact on its diversity. It focuses on preventing ecological catastrophes and identifying the most effective solutions to environmental crisis situations.

Climatic Change and Its Impact

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area was once greatly impacted by floods, particularly during the 1998 El Nino event. The prolonged and heavy rains devastated the area’s infrastructure and led to health issues for people and wild animals as well as livestock and favored some of IAS to spread within the area.

The 1997 drought was another occurrence that was a result of climatic change and had an impact on pasture and water sources prior to the El Nino rains. The draught eventually forced livestock keepers to relocate to Ndutu and other locations while wild animals moved into the forest in search of food and water.

Climate Adaption

NCA is now facing a rapid transformation of social-ecological systems as a result of climate change and other anthropogenic drivers that are happening at increasing speeds and magnitudes. Such transformation includes biophysical changes to biotic and ecological processes as well as wildlife, humans, and livestock adapting such changes.

Various measures have been successful, such as the construction and renovation of infrastructure including roads, cattle troughs, dams, cattle dips, and livestock crushes.

Mitigation Measures

In order to minimize the demand for forest products from the Northern Highland Forest Reserve and lower atmospheric carbon dioxide, climate change adaptation and mitigation are carried out through a tree planting program within and adjacent to the NCA.

A total of 2,651,000 trees were planted in various locations adjacent to the NCA. Types of trees planted included Acacia species, Pinus patula, Cordia africana, Eucalyptus, Grewia smilis, Tamarindus indica, Adansonia digitatata, Bouganivilea glabra, Ficus sycomorus, Combretum molle, and Delonix regia, among others.

All of the areas that bordering the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, including Mbulu, Karatu, Monduli, Ngorongoro, Arusha, Babati, Singida, Moshi, Dodoma Chamwino, and Arumeru, were given priority status under this program. This is due to the fact that planting trees close to the area minimizes the excessive demand for natural resources from the northern highland forest reserve.

Since there is still a demand for natural resources for human use, the program is still in operation. At its four tree nurseries (Karatu, Mbulu, Lositete, and Selela), the NCAA grows tree seedlings and distributes them cost-free to a variety of stakeholders, including village communities, government agencies, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and individuals.

Various tree species found in the NCA nurseries includes the Acacia species, Pinus patula, Cordia africana, Eucalyptus, Balanite egyptiaca, Grewia smilis, Tamarindus indica, Adansonia digitatata, Bouganivilea glabra, Ficus sycomorus, Combretum molle, Grewia tenax, Syzygium cuminii, Albiziaharvey, Salvadora perisca and Delonix regia. .