Tanzania National Parks Authority

Last updated
Tanzania National Parks Authority
Mamlaka ya Hifadhi za Taifa Tanzania (Swahili)
Government Agency overview
Formed1959
Type Parastatal
Jurisdiction21 National Parks
Headquarters Arusha, Tanzania
MottoSustainable Conservation and Tourism Excellence
Employees2200 (2015)
Minister responsible
Government Agency executive
  • Allan Kijazi, Director General
Website Agency website

The Tanzania National Parks Authority commonly known as TANAPA is responsible for the management of Tanzania's national parks. TANAPA is a parastatal corporation and all its income is reinvested into the organization. It is governed by a number of instruments including the National Parks Act, Chapter 282 of the 2002 and the Wildlife Conservation Act No. 5 of 2009. [1] TANAPA manages the nation's 23 National parks which covers approximately 15% of the land area and has the mandate to conserve and manage the wildlife in Tanzania, and to enforce the related laws and regulations in this industry. It manages the biodiversity of the country, protecting and conserving the flora and fauna. The organization does not have a mandate over the game reserves such as the Selous Game Reserve which is managed by the Tanzanian Wildlife Division and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area managed by the Ngorongoro Conservation Authority. [2]

Contents

The Arusha Manifesto gave the initial foundation for the expansion of the Tanzanian National Park authority and an increase in protected areas in the country, as of December 2015 parks, reserves and conservation areas cover about 14% percent of the land. [2] Currently TANAPA is governed by the National Parks Ordinance Chapter 282 of the 2002 and manages 22 national parks. [3]

According to some reliable information (Oakland Institute [CA], Avaaz.org), TANAPA has recently (Jan 2024) been trying to evict by force Maassai people (shooting, harassment, arrests, and seizing cattle of Maassai villagers). Should this info be confirmed, we urge the Tanzanian Government to stand against any form of harassment to the Maassai people and protect them according to the law of the country.

National Parks

TANAPA manages 22 national parks covering an area of 99,306.50 km2 (38,342 sq mi) approximately the land area of Croatia. TANAPA is responsible for the following parks: [4] [5] [6]

Statistics

TANAPA's main source of revenue is sourced from tourist arrivals. TANAPA in collaboration with the Tanzania Tourist Board markets the national parks locally and internationally to attract visitors. TANAPA has also been mandated to promote domestic tourism. [1]

2008-092009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-19
Total Number of Visitors736,829679,006682,218942,664901,892957,380958,234957,576982,3401,079,2631,196,284
Percentage Foreign (%)59%57%62%59%56%50%55%54%61%62%61%
Notes/sources [1] [7] [1] [7] [1] [7] [1] [7] [1] [7] [8] [8] [8] [8] [8] [8]

Principal activities

It is TANAPA's first and foremost goal to protect the wildlife and natural resources living in the park and to ensure tourists do not cause damage to the ecosystem. The organization has received various donations of vehicles and aircraft to help train rangers with modern technology and techniques. [9]

TANAPA also pays to maintain the park facilities for tourists and conservation activities such as Roads, Gates, Boundaries and Airstrips. TANAPA currently manages 26 airstrips throughout its network of national parks. [10] Often forest fires break out in the parks and it is under TANAPA's mandate to put them out. The authority also has in place a Fire management plan implemented yearly which help reducing number of destructive insect e.g. tsetse fly, help reduce the amount of litter that can catalyze a fire during dry season and also early burning of the grass helps facilitate new forage for animals. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serengeti</span> Geographical region in Tanzania

The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning the Mara and Arusha Regions of Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi) of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves. The Serengeti hosts the world's most massive land animal migration, which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serengeti National Park</span> National park in Mara and Simiyu Regions, Tanzania

The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over 14,763 km2 (5,700 sq mi). It is located in eastern Mara Region and northeastern Simiyu Region and contains over 1,500,000 hectares of virgin savanna. The park was established in 1940.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ngorongoro Conservation Area</span> Protected area and a World Heritage Site in Arusha Region, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District, 180 km (110 mi) west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northeastern Tanzania. The area is named after Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera within the area. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority administers the conservation area, an arm of the Tanzanian government, and its boundaries follow the boundary of the Ngorongoro District in Arusha Region. The western portion of the park abuts the Serengeti National Park, and the area comprising the two parks and Kenya's Maasai Mara game reserve is home to Great Migration, a massive annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and other animals. The conservation area also contains Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruaha National Park</span> National park in Tanzania

Ruaha National Park is a national park in Tanzania. The addition of the Usangu Game Reserve and other important wetlands to the park in 2008 increased its size to about 20,226 km2 (7,809 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilimanjaro National Park</span> National park in Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania

Kilimanjaro National Park is a Tanzanian national park located 300 kilometres (190 mi) south of the equator in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. The park is located near the region of Moshi. The park includes the whole of Mount Kilimanjaro above the tree line and the surrounding montane forest belt above 1,820 metres (5,970 ft). It covers an area of 1,688 square kilometres (652 sq mi), 2°50'–3°10'S 37°10'–37°40'E. The park is administered by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). It was established as a national park in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arusha Region</span> Region of Tanzania

Arusha Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions and is located in the northeast of the country. The region's capital and largest city is the city of Arusha. The region is bordered by Kajiado County and Narok County in Kenya to the north, the Kilimanjaro Region to the east, the Manyara and Singida Regions to the south, and the Mara and Simiyu regions to the west. Arusha Region is home to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is comparable in size to the combined land and water areas of the state of Maryland in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arusha National Park</span> National Park in Tanzania

Arusha National Park covers Mount Meru, a prominent volcano with an elevation of 4566 m, in the Arusha Region of north eastern Tanzania. The park is small but varied with spectacular landscapes in three distinct areas. In the west, the Meru Crater funnels the Jekukumia River; the peak of Mount Meru lies on its rim. Ngurdoto Crater in the south-east is grassland. The shallow alkaline Momella Lakes in the north-east have varying algal colours and are known for their wading birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monduli District, Arusha</span> District of Arusha Region, Tanzania

'Monduli District is one of seven districts of the Arusha Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the north by Longido District, to the east by Arusha Rural District, to the south by the Manyara Region and to the west by Ngorongoro District and Karatu District. The District covers an area of 6,993 km2 (2,700 sq mi). The town of Monduli is the administrative seat of the district. According to the 2002 Tanzania National Census, the population of the Monduli District was 185,237. By 2012, the population of the district was 158,929. By 2022, the population had grown to 227,585.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ngorongoro District, Arusha</span> District of Arusha Region, Tanzania

Ngorongoro District is one of seven districts in western Arusha Region of Tanzania. The district is bordered to the north by Kenya, to the east by Monduli District, the northeast by Longido District, and to the south by the Karatu District. The western border is the Serengeti District in Mara Region. Ngorongoro District is home to the Ngorongoro Crater and was named after it. It covers an area of 14,036 km2 (5,419 sq mi). The district is comparable in size to the land area of Timor Leste. The administrative seat is the town of Loliondo. The district is home to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The district is also home to the third tallest mountain in the country, Mount Loolmalasin. According to the 2002 Tanzania National Census, the population of the Ngorongoro Region was 129,776. By 2012, the population of the district was 174,278. By 2022, the population had grown to 273,549.

Coastal Aviation is an airline that operates out of Julius Nyerere International Airport, Terminal 1, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It services many areas in Tanzania, but also operates regionally to neighboring countries, including Kenya and Rwanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Tanzania</span>

Tanzania is a country with many tourist attractions. Approximately 38 percent of Tanzania's land area is set aside in protected areas for conservation. There are 17 national parks, 29 game reserves, 40 controlled conservation areas and marine parks. Tanzania is also home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa.

Mikumi National Park is a national park near Morogoro, Tanzania with an area of 3,230 km2 (1,250 sq mi) that was established in 1964. It is the fourth largest in the country. The park is crossed by Tanzania's A-7 highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubondo Island National Park</span> Tanzanian National Park on an island in Lake Victoria

Rubondo Island National Park is one of two Tanzanian national parks located on an island in Lake Victoria. The Island is administered by jurisdiction by the Geita District of Geita Region, and as a National Park, the island management is under TANAPA. The island attracts a small number of visitors each year, mainly game fishermen and bird enthusiasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitulo National Park</span> Protected area in Tanzania

Kitulo National Park is a protected area of montane grassland and montane forest on the Kitulo Plateau in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The park is at an elevation of 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) between the peaks of the Kipengere and Poroto mountains and covers an area of 412.9 square kilometres (159.4 sq mi), lying in Mbeya Region and Njombe Region. The park is administered by Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) and is the first national park in tropical Africa to be established primarily to protect its flora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Tanzania</span>

Tanzania contains some 20 percent of the species of Africa's large mammal population, found across its reserves, conservation areas, marine parks, and 17 national parks, spread over an area of more than 42,000 square kilometres (16,000 sq mi) and forming approximately 38 percent of the country's territory. Wildlife resources of Tanzania are described as "without parallel in Africa" and "the prime game viewing country". Serengeti National Park, the country's second largest national park area at 14,763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi), is located in northern Tanzania and is famous for its extensive migratory herds of wildebeests and zebra while also having the reputation as one of the great natural wonders of the world. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, established in 1959, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and inhabited by the Maasai people. Its Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact caldera in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Simpson Owen</span> Ugandan-born British conservationist

John Simpson Owen was a Ugandan-born British conservationist who served as Director of the Tanzania National Parks from 1960 to 1972, during which time he was responsible for the establishment and management a network of National Parks, the Promotion of Scientific Research as a basis for conservation and wildlife tourism in the Serengeti National Park. He was awarded the World Wildlife Fund Gold Medal in 1973 for this and its contribution to the economy of a developing country. He was also the recipient of the Order of the Golden Arc from Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kijereshi Game Reserve</span> Tanzanian game reserve

Kijereshi Game Reserve is a protected area located in Simiyu Region of Tanzania.

Southern <i>Acacia</i>–<i>Commiphora</i> bushlands and thickets

The Southern AcaciaCommiphora bushlands and thickets is a tropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion in Tanzania and Kenya. It includes portions of Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which are designated World Heritage Sites and biosphere reserves for their outstanding wildlife and landscapes. It is one of three Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and thickets ecoregions in eastern Africa.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Tanzania National Park Authority Corporate Information". tanapa. TANAPA. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 "The custodians of the National and World Heritage Areas". Serengeti.org. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  3. "The National Parks Act - Chapter 292" (PDF). United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. Tanzanian Government. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  4. "Tanzania National Park Authority Homepage". TANAPA. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  5. "History |TANZANIA NATIONAL PARKS". www.tanzaniaparks.go.tz. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  6. "Tanzania National Parks" (PDF). Dodoma, Tanzania: Tanzania National Parks Authority. January 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "TANAPA Investment Prospectus 2013" (PDF). tanapa.co.tz. Tanzania National park Authority. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Tanapa Statistics" (PDF). Tanzania National Parks Org. Government of Tanzania.
  9. Thome, Wolfgang (24 November 2015). "Two new Husky A-1C aircraft boost-anti poaching surveillance capacity for TANAPA". ETN Turbo News. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  10. "List of Aerodromes in Tanzania" (PDF). Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority . Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  11. "Press Release - "Arson halts wildebeest migration"" (PDF). Tanzania Parks. Tanzania National Park Authority. Retrieved 21 December 2015.