[PRESSWIRE] DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – 2026-02-06 — 6th February, 2026

Tanzania has finalised a new 10″‘year National Strategy for Managing Human–Wildlife Conflicts to enhance protection for communities near conservation areas and strengthen coexistence with wildlife, the government said on Wednesday.

The strategy, covering the 2025/26–2035/36 period, will improve coordination among ministries and expand the use of modern deterrence measures to reduce loss of life, crops and property, Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Hamad Hassan Chande told parliament.

Chande was responding to a question from Musa Godfrey Mbuga, a lawmaker from Kisesa, who raised concerns about repeated elephant incursions into farms and homesteads in villages such as Ng’hanga, Mwambongo, Matale, Longalonhinga, Sakata, Nyanza and Banhya.

Implementation will involve multiple ministries — including the Prime Minister’s Office–Regional Administration and Local Government, Natural Resources and Tourism, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, and Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development — under the coordination of the Prime Minister’s Office.

“This broad institutional collaboration provides a well”‘coordinated and robust system that prioritises people’s welfare and the national economy,” Chande said.

As part of the strategy, the government is expanding the use of electrified fencing and other deterrence technologies to prevent elephants and other large animals from entering human settlements. Plans are underway, in partnership with conservation organisations, to build infrastructure such as electrified fencing along critical boundaries where wildlife corridors intersect with farms.

In addition to nationwide measures, Tanzania has supported efforts to strengthen protection and conflict mitigation around the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the country’s most important wildlife and tourism landscapes.

Conservation partners have been working with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) and local communities to bolster rapid response anti”‘poaching teams and train Human”‘Elephant Conflict (HEC) Officers to monitor and respond to conflict incidents.

The programs have shown promising results. Data from conservation initiatives indicate a reduction in reported crop”‘raiding incidents in areas where trained local officers and conflict mitigation toolkits are in active use, and community members have participated in awareness and early”‘warning systems designed to reduce risk.

In Ngorongoro, community”‘based approaches that engage local residents in wildlife monitoring and coexistence efforts are also being advanced by partners such as Global Conservation and African People Wildlife, fostering collaboration between pastoralist communities and wildlife authorities to protect both people and key species.

The new national strategy is part of broader efforts to promote peaceful coexistence between communities and protected areas, balancing human development needs with wildlife conservation in one of Africa’s largest wildlife economies.

· The National Strategy for Managing Human–Wildlife Conflicts covers the 2025/26–2035/36 period and provides a 10-year framework for coordinated national action.

· The strategy aims to reduce loss of life, crop destruction, and property damage in communities bordering conservation areas while strengthening long-term coexistence between people and wildlife.

· Implementation will be coordinated by the Prime Minister’s Office and involves multiple ministries, including Natural Resources and Tourism; Agriculture; Livestock and Fisheries; Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development; and the Prime Minister’s Office–Regional Administration and Local Government.

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