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Issue 00534 |
September 6 - 12, 2008 |
issn 0856 - 9135 |
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Society |
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In Focus
A recent visit to a pastoral Maasai community in Arusha revealed that pastoral Maasai people are willing to switch from traditional revenue generating activities such as keeping of cattle to eco-friendly activities such as tourism. The challenge is to prove to the pastoral Maasai people that it is more beneficial to carry out eco-friendly economic activities than otherwise. The challenge is manageable. In fact, the sky is the limit as regards profitable tourism opportunities in Tanzania for reference. For example, members of pastoral Maasai community that were interviewed explained that they have established a tourist camp as an income earner to replace charcoal burning and grazing of livestock in their area. The camp management organizes diverse tourism activities on behalf of the community. Management of the tourist camp provides tourists with accommodation in tents at US Dollar 35 per bed per night. The camp comprises a department where women sell Maasai women art in various forms. The camp itineraries include walking safaris through typical African savanna woodlands and up a steep and scenic mountain known as “Mountain of goats”. In addition, management of the camp organizes camel ride safaris at US Dollars 45 per person per day. The camel ride activities add spice to the tourist itineraries. Incidentally, members of the community are convinced that the seemingly few and localized tourism based activities that are organized at the camp are more profitable now and in the long run than keeping scores of livestock in the area. Increased and sustained income generation through tourism alleviate poverty among members of the community. Lest we forget, poverty is the single most important cause of environmental destruction. The camels are particularly of interest as regards poverty alleviation hence conservation. For instance, as a means of transport for other forms of socio-economic activities, members of staff at the camel camp explain that an adult camel can carry a luggage weighing up to 200 kilogrammes if the luggage is well packed. The staff revealed that a donkey carries a luggage weighing about 40 kilogrammes on average in contrast. Specifically, it has been revealed that camels conserve water. The animals stay for about eight days without drinking water. It is the case even if water is made accessible to the animals all the time. It is an important gesture by the camels for conservation in view of the pastoral Maasai area where water is very scarce. Tourism contributes to conservation as a matter of principle. For example, activities that destroy the environment such as deforestation or charcoal burning fall out of place automatically when tourism activities are introduced in an area. It suggests that tourism based community development strategies can enhance conservation in the country substantially. Tourism is an important tool for conservation at the national level as well. For instance, the seemingly unmatched quality, variety, uniqueness and abundance of natural resources in Tanzania’s protected wildlife areas such as national parks and the Ngorongoro conservation Area is a reflection of successful tourism in the areas. Successful tourism generates substantial revenues. Then, proportions of the revenues are retained to manage the areas effectively. In contrast, natural resources in many other protected wildlife areas in the country such as game reserves and catchment forests are not well conserved because management of the areas practice limited or less profitable forms of tourism. As a result they generate inadequate funds for conservation. You wonder why government is contented with less beneficial tourism practices in the game reserves and catchment forests even with the positive experiences from national parks and Ngorongoro Conservation Area at their disposal. To avoid the revenue generation problem in game reserves, some countries like Botswana practice the more profitable photographic safaris in both the country’s national parks and game reserves. Tourist hunting that is practiced in game reserves and catchment forests in Tanzania is conducted in open areas in Botswana. As a result, national parks and game reserves in that country generate substantial amount of revenue much of which is used for managing resources in the areas. The most pathetic situation as regards unavailability of funds for conservation purposes is observed in Tanzania’s catchment forests. Funds are not available partly because revenues generated from hunting activities in the forests go to the Wildlife Division for management of game reserves elsewhere in the country. But logic for conservation would suggest that revenues from forest reserves should go to the Forest Division for management of the forests and not game reserves. After all, there are more game reserves than national parks in Tanzania. Therefore, the Wildlife Division should generate adequate revenues from the reserves to run its affairs. All told, tourism plays a significant role in conservation in Tanzania despite discrepancies concerning the various forms of tourism that are practiced in the country.
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By Ramadhani Kupaza 