DODOMA,
Tanzania
Tanzanian
authorities on Sunday submitted a list of 920 villages allowed to remain within
protected areas and reserves for wildlife and forests across the nation, said a
statement by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development.
Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve, a
protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage site |
The list
of 920 villages was submitted to regional and district commissioners by the
permanent secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements
Development, Mary Makondo, in the capital Dodoma, said the statement.
The
submission of the list to the regional and district authorities was aimed at
ending a long-time land dispute between villages located near or within
protected areas and reserves for wildlife and forests and conservation
authorities, said the statement.
The
submission of the list to regional and district commissioners was intended to
enable them to identify the 920 villages and give them support and protection,
said William Lukuvi, the Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements
Development.
“For
quite a long time, villagers residing within protected and reserve areas had
been subjected to harassment by conservation authorities, including burning of
their houses and destroying their farms in the name of conservation,” said
Lukuvi.
On
September 23, 2019, the government endorsed the annulment of 12 protected areas
and seven reserves for wildlife and forests and allocated them to the 920
villages for habitation.
A
statement by the Prime Minister’s Office said the annulled protected areas and
reserves that covered a total of about 707,660 hectares will be allocated to
people for settlements, farming and livestock keeping.
In
January 2019, President John Magufuli ordered relevant authorities to suspend
removal of 366 villages situated in protected areas for wildlife and forests.
President
Magufuli also directed responsible ministries to identify wildlife and forests
protected areas which had no wildlife and forests and allocate them to farmers
and livestock keepers.
About 40 percent of land in Tanzania is set aside in protected areas for conservation.
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