Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests of Tanzania and Kenya ...

percent) of the Kenyan coastal forests fall into this category or is totally unprotected (data fromWWF-EARPO 2002).In the Tanzanian portion of the Eastern Arc Mountains, there are two national parks (UdzungwaMountains National Park, gazetted in 1992, 1,960 km 2 ; and Mikumi National Park, 3,230 km 2 ),two game reserves (Selous and Mkomazi) and a nature reserve (Amani Nature Reserve, gazettedin 1997, 83.8 km 2 ) (GEF 2002; Roe et al. 2002). However, more than 90 percent of the totalforest area in the Tanzanian portion of the Eastern Arc Mountains and almost 75 percent of thetotal forests are gazetted as government catchment forest reserves (Burgess pers. com.). Theserange in area from more than 557,000 ha (Ngindo) to less than 10 ha and include all the largerforests in the Kilimanajaro (e.g., Chome), Tanga (e.g., Nguru North, Shume Magambe) andMorogoro (e.g., Uluguru, Nguru South) regions. Most of the remainder are local authorityforests, ranging in size from 57,300 ha (Mbalwe/Mfukulembe) to less than 10 ha, although thereare a few private forests, mainly on tea estates (e.g. Ambangulu Tea Estate) and some of whichhave been covenanted for conservation. In the national park, protection levels are high, butelsewhere they are highly variable. The important catchment forest reserves are, in general,better protected than the local authority forests (Burgess et al. 1998).In the Tanzanian coastal forests, management regimes are more complicated. Most are eitherforest reserves (80) or are on public land (20) with no protection status (WWF-EARPO 2002).Four are private forest reserves (Magotwe, Kichi Hills, Mlungui and Magoroto). Only three areentirely managed by the district government as local authority forest reserves, although somehave double status (two overlapping with forest reserves and two more with private forestreserves). There are two catchment forest reserves (Mselezi, Ziwani) (Burgess and Clarke 2000;WWF-EARPO 2002) managed by the Central Government Forest and Beekeeping Division.Two others, Zaraninge and the former Mkwaja ranch, are being incorporated into the newSadaani National Park (WWF-EARPO 2002). Some patches are also found in the Selous GameReserve and others in Mafia Island Marine Park. Offshore protected areas are also found inZanzibar (Jozani Forest Reserve) and Pemba (Ngezi Forest Reserve). There are also smallerareas in Zanzibar that are important for water catchment (e.g. Masingi) and for endemic species(e.g. Unguja Ukuu Forest Plantation). There is a proposal to upgrade the Jozani Reserve inZanzibar (now known as the Jozani-Chakwa Bay Conservation Area) to a national park.Management and protection of most of the forests throughout the hotspot have suffered frominadequate stakeholder involvement, conflicts of interest and corruption. Where forests aregazetted, the boundaries tend to be respected but the forests themselves suffer steadydegradation. The levels of protection achieved on the ground are strongly dependent on localfactors such as proximity to urban areas, pressure for land, ease of access, presence of valuabletimber and the capacity and morale of the local forestry officers (WWF-US 2003a). There is ageneral move toward various forms of participatory forest management (PFM), in the hope thatan exchange of forest user rights for community management responsibilities and ownership(where appropriate) will lead to better protection by the people who often know best what isgoing on in the forests. Although this hope is widely held, it has not yet been scientifically testedwithin the hotspot. The alternative strategies of direct payments and easements are beingexplored, but have not yet been implemented.CONSERVATION OUTCOMESThis ecosystem profile, together with profiles under development for other regions at this time,includes a new commitment and emphasis on using conservation outcomes—targets againstwhich the success of investments can be measured—as the scientific underpinning fordetermining CEPF’s geographic and thematic focus for investment.16