Issue
Issue
Tanzania’s Pugu, Vikindu and Kazimzumbwi coastal forests are remnants of one of the oldest surviving forests in the world, which now includes the Pugu-Kazimzumbwi Nature Forest Reserve. Not only are these areas home to a diverse range of species, but they support communities and livelihoods nearby. Nicknamed ‘the lungs of Dar es Salaam’, they play a vital role in the lives of millions of people living in and around them. But as the city of Dar es Salaam expands, increasing pressures of deforestation, fire, and unsustainable agriculture practices place these ancient forests under threat.
Solution and result
Solution and result
Alongside Trillion Trees, the Tanzania Forest Service (TFS) and district councils, WWF-Tanzania is working with local communities to restore these precious forests. After first establishing the Pugu-Kazimzumbwi Nature Reserve, which provides increased protection for the forests, 24,500 native tree seedlings were planted in 2021 in targeted forest gaps. This brings the total number of planted seedlings to 73,500 over the 5-year course of the project. An assessment of naturally regenerated areas suggests that the forest is recovering, although more work will be done to monitor this.
WWF-Tanzania has been working with local communities on livelihood opportunities such as ecotourism and beekeeping. Young people in Kisarawe district have formed a tour guide group, which serves about 500 local and international tourists per month.