Challenges arises during managing protected areas in Tanzania.

Protected areas are areas of land or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means( International Union for Conservation of Nature,2008).

These are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological and cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas in Tanzania which range from wild life national parks, game reserves, mountains, marine parks, forest reserve, world heritage historical sites and fresh water protected areas (United Nations, 2003). Examples of protected areas of Tanzania are Gombe national park, Katavi, Ruaha national park and many more.

In Tanzania protected areas  are protected by the government in collaborating with the local communities for the aim of maintaining the quality and existence of natural resources for sustainable use and to maintain eco-system and biological diversity in a long term.

Generally protected areas refers to geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed through legal or other effective means to archive the long term conservation of nature with associated eco-system and cultural value.

The following are the main challenges arises during managing protected areas in Tanzania;-

Land encroachment by human which lead to loss of habitat of wild animals, this problem is emanated due to population growth of people which lead to horizontal movement of people to the protected areas like in national parks and game reserves in which people started to create or establish settlement and agriculture(Walter,1992). This situation led to the destruction of habitat of wild animals which finally culminate to loss of biodiversity.

Poor representation of habitat of the organism in the protected areas. This situation is caused due to poor management and inefficient work of managers. Example in Tanzania many habitats are not well represented in the current network of protected areas, less than four percentage of the Ocean is protected fresh water habitats are also poorly represented.

Pollution, this is the challenge arising during managing protected areas in Tanzania like in national parks and in marine protected areas whereby it can be air or water pollution, this tend to affect the health and life of organism found in those protected areas, example with water pollution tend to affect the aquatic organism like fishes(Phillips,2004).

Lack or poor connectivity between protected  areas, this situation is attributed to human activities like deforestation that reduce the size of protected areas, some species especially big animals like Bears need large areas of natural habitats in order to feed and find mates. Few protected areas are large enough to support more than a few individuals of this species and many isolated from other areas of natural habitats (Niger and Stolton, 2008).

Poor management. Protected areas most of them lack efficient and effective management from the leader or administration concerned. This situation culminates to the poaching activities to exist in those areas hence some of the species diminish totally due to the poaching activities.

Poaching activities; This. is the problem of many protected areas in Tanzania like in national parks, game reserves in which the poachers tend to hunt the wild animals like elephants illegal, this activity contribute to disappearance of the wild organism in protected areas(Phillips,2004).

Lack of accurate data, this prevents them from getting an exact overview of the exact and changes to the threat to wild life. This may lead to ineffective management of those protected areas hence lead to illegal hunting and disappearance of species.

Financial problem, fixing representative in protected area network in place and managing them effectively requires money, this problem is intense particularly in developing countries like Tanzania(Chape,2003).thus led to poor management of protected areas.

Environmental degradation arising from the invasion of water sources areas by livestock keepers or herdsmen, also due to illegal human activities related to agriculture, settlement along the slopes of mountain, on top of mountain range, in river valley and around water sources, through this way led to difficult situation of managing those protected areas (Nigel and Stolton, 2008).

Drying up of water sources resulting from the planting and growth of alien and exotic trees species, this situation tend to  challenge the whole process of  managing the protected areas in Tanzania particular in marine protected areas, and this situation is emanated due to high rate of evaporation hence led to death of aquatic organisms.

Limited public awareness and involvement in environmental protection and sustainable utilization of natural resources, this situation tend to hamper the process of managing the protected areas in Tanzania (Chape, 2003), example in marine protected areas where the people are reluctant to participate in conserving the protected areas.

Natural resources use conflicts like land use conflicts between various stakeholders , this situation challenge the process of managing protected areas in Tanzania because of those conflicts which occurred due to stiff competition particular in utilizing the resources like water , forests, wild life and land(Phillips,2004).

Therefore for protected areas to remain existing the managers must stand on and lack illusions about the problems which face the protected areas and also they must manage the protected areas properly so that to avoid the resources scarcity, depletion of species and destruction of protected areas.

  

REFERENCES

Phillips, A,(2004) The History of the International System of Protected Area                        Management Categories.

Chape, S et al (2003) United Nations List of Protected Areas, IUCN,Gland Cambridge Press.

Niger D. and Stolton S.(2008) Defining Protected Areas;An International Conference.