Reducing Encroachment into Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Tanzania

Preliminary Design Assessment: Options for Enhancing the Park Boundary and Developing an Ecological Buffer

Gregory A. Tenn

Project Organization

1. Forward 2. Residential Encroachment3. Public Lands4. Agriculture 5. Recommendations

ConditionsDesign Considerations

(Preliminary & Primary)

Design Concepts Sections

Residential Encroachment

• Urbanization in villages• Increasing land use conversion (residential, subsistence ag)• Expansion of commercial agriculture • Large number of economic immigrants • Little or no room to expand except into UMNP• Direct threat to conservation

• Lack of physical space• Movement of established residences and structures

undesirable even with economic reimbursement • Balance socio-economic and conservation considerations• Negate or minimize land use conversion within present park

boundary • Park boundary as economic resource • Strengthen delineation of the park and village land • Improving visibility and monitoring

Conditions

Design Considerations

Potential Buffer Zone.

Connection to natural heritage sites

Village Land

Park

Connection to park trail system

Low Impact Buffer Zone

Tree Canopy Maintained

Park Boundary Trail•Tree canopy remains intact •Privacy for residents; view from trail inhibited•Potential for low-impact economic activities

(e.g. butterfly farming, beekeeping, managed harvesting of timber/non-timber products, etc.)

•Potential to increase revenues from tourism activities, especially in communities near park attractions (e.g. Sanje)

•Delineation of park boundary•Enhanced visibility and monitoring of park

boundary and buffer zone by TANAPA and community

Butterfly Farming Enclosure

3 Section 1 - Residential

With Buffer

Village Land

Connection to natural attractions

Connection to park trail system

Buffer Zone

Connection to community

Park

Public Lands

• Growth in populations should coincide with growth in social services and infrastructure

• Land use conversion (e.g. roads, schools, hospitals/clinics, etc.). • Public land is a highly regarded asset • Stable and/or lower impact uses • Higher potential for open space • prior NGO success

• Creation of public park boundary zone• Community based resource management• Schools and agroforestry• Environmental education • Recreation facilities• Government/administrative

Conditions

Design Considerations

4 Section 1 - Residential

Land Use Swap

Community land moves to new location at interface with park and incorporates a buffer zone

Park Boundary Retains Position

High impact land use is moved further from park boundary

Village Land

Public Land

Park

School Land (2 ha) adjacent to Park Boundary

Open Space (adjacent to village land)

Early Harvest (non-timber products) ~30m

Late Harvest(non-timber and timber) ~10m

Restoration Core (no harvest) ~20m

Park

Transitional Buffer Zone Diagram Integrated Forestry Plan

Park

School Buildings

Native species only.

Preference for commercially useful species (native and non-native) increases with distance from park boundary.

• only native tree species

• increasing number of harvestable species that are allowed to grow for a longer period of time to develop forest cover

Open area (e.g. recreational use) with a greater number of shade and fruit trees.

Social/community lands tend to have greater amounts of available open land that could be made available for economic and conservation activities.

Tree Nursery

Agriculture

• Existing/maintained open space • High economic value • Food security • Human-wildlife conflicts

• Development potential (public lands, tourism)• Buffers might not resolve human-wildlife conflicts• Crop selection/heterogeneity• Balance economic realities of production, marketing, and sale. • Sustainable forestry

Conditions

Design ConsiderationsConceptual Plan

Detail

Farm and Homestead (4ha) Adjacent to Park Conceptual Land Use Diagram

Crops/Activites most susceptible to H-W conflict or most valuable)

Crop/Activities least susceptible to H-W conflicts

Ecotourism Site

Ecotourism Site

Homestead Restoration Core (no or limited harvest)

Restoration Core/Buffer

Forestry Management

ParkFarm and Homestead

ParkBoundary

5

Integrated Buffer and Ecotourism Business Venture

Park Access via Trail System