Forest Protection

Forest protection

Forest protection in Tanzania involves a combination of legal frameworks, community involvement, enforcement measures, international cooperation, and awareness-raising efforts aimed at conserving biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and improving livelihoods. Despite these efforts, challenges such as illegal logging, land degradation, and wildfire to threaten Tanzania's forests, highlighting the ongoing need for effective conservation strategies and collaborative action.

Wildfire/Bushfire

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Pictures on wildlife fighting

Each year, thousands of hectares of natural forests are engulfed in flames, resulting in the loss of biodiversity by causing the death of various plant and animal species and impeding the growth rate of certain tree species. In fact, wildfires have been pointed out as a notorious challenge to meaningful development and investments in woodlots, natural and plantation forests. Intensification of wildfires worsens climate change with concomitant effects on increased frequent and intensity of wildfires.

For example; during the year 2021/2022 about 3,172 hectares were burnt in the plantations of Sao hill, Wino and Buhigwe managed by TFS while in 2022/2023 about 290 of plantation forest were burnt. The assessments conducted revealed that the source of fire was due human activities, especially during agriculture filed preparation adjacent to the forest.

Therefore, Tanzania aims to safeguard its forests from wildfires and reduce their impact on biodiversity, ecosystems, and communities through prevention, early detection, suppression, community involvement, and research.