Tanzania National Parks Authority

The Tanzania National Parks Authority commonly known as TANAPA is responsible for the management of Tanzania's national parks. TANAPA is a parastatal corporation and all its income is reinvested into the organization. It is governed by a number of instruments including the National Parks Act, Chapter 282 of the 2002 and the Wildlife Conservation Act No. 5 of 2009.[1] TANAPA manages the nation's 22 National parks which covers approximately 15% of the land area and has the mandate to conserve and manage the wildlife in Tanzania, and to enforce the related laws and regulations in this industry. It manages the biodiversity of the country, protecting and conserving the flora and fauna. The organization does not have a mandate over the game reserves such as the Selous Game Reserve which is managed by the Tanzanian Wildlife Division and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area managed by the Ngorongoro Conservation Authority.[2]

Tanzania National Parks Authority
Mamlaka ya Hifadhi za Taifa Tanzania  (Swahili)
Government Agency overview
Formed1959
TypeParastatal
Jurisdiction21 National Parks
HeadquartersArusha, Tanzania
MottoSustainable Conservation and Tourism Excellence
Employees2200 (2015)
Minister responsible
Government Agency executive
  • Allan Kijazi, Director General
WebsiteAgency website
The entrance to Gombe Stream National Park.

The Arusha Manifesto gave the initial foundation for the expansion of the Tanzanian National Park authority and an increase in protected areas in the country, as of December 2015 parks, reserves and conservation areas cover about 14% percent of the land.[2] Currently TANAPA is governed by the National Parks Ordinance Chapter 282 of the 2002 and manages 22 national parks.[3]

National Parks

The Ruaha National Park Entrance
The Mikumi National Park Entrance

TANAPA manages 22 national parks covering an area of 99,306.50 km2 (38,342 sq mi) approximately the land area of Croatia. TANAPA is responsible for the following parks:[4][5]

  1. Arusha National Park
  2. Burigi-Chato National Park
  3. Gombe Stream National Park
  4. Ibanda-Kyerwa National Park
  5. Katavi National Park
  6. Kigosi National Park
  7. Kilimanjaro National Park
  8. Kitulo National Park
  9. Lake Manyara National Park
  10. Mahale Mountains National Park
  11. Mikumi National Park
  12. Mkomazi National Park
  13. Nyerere National Park
  14. Ruaha National Park
  15. Rubondo Island National Park
  16. Rumanyika-Karagwe National Park
  17. Saadani National Park
  18. Saanane Island National Park
  19. Serengeti National Park
  20. Tarangire National Park
  21. Udzungwa Mountains National Park
  22. Ugalla River National Park

Statistics

TANAPA's main source of revenue is sourced from tourist arrivals. TANAPA in collaboration with the Tanzania Tourist Board markets the national parks locally and internationally to attract visitors. TANAPA has also been mandated to promote domestic tourism.[1]

2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19
Total Number of Visitors 736,829 679,006 682,218 942,664 901,892 957,380 958,234 957,576 982,340 1,079,263 1,196,284
Percentage Foreign (%) 59% 57% 62% 59% 56% 50% 55% 54% 61% 62% 61%
Notes/sources [1][6] [1][6] [1][6] [1][6] [1][6] [7] [7] [7] [7] [7] [7]

Principal activities

The Seronera Airstrip Terminal
A TANAPA Land rover 4x4 vehicle at the Lukukuru post in the Rubondo Island National Park.
A TANAPA Patrol Aircraft

It is TANAPA's first and foremost goal to protect the wildlife and natural resources living in the park and to ensure tourists do not cause damage to the ecosystem. The organization has received various donations of vehicles and aircraft to help train rangers with modern technology and techniques.[8]

TANAPA also pays to maintain the park facilities for tourists and conservation activities such as Roads, Gates, Boundaries and Airstrips. TANAPA currently manages 26 airstrips throughout its network of national parks.[9] Often forest fires break out in the parks and it is under TANAPA's mandate to put them out. The authority also has in place a Fire management plan implemented yearly which help reducing number of destructive insect e.g. tsetse fly, help reduce the amount of litter that can catalyze a fire during dry season and also early burning of the grass helps facilitate new forage for animals.[10]

See also

References

  1. "Tanzania National Park Authority Corporate Information". tanapa. TANAPA. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  2. "The custodians of the National and World Heritage Areas". Serengeti.org. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  3. "The National Parks Act - Chapter 292" (PDF). United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. Tanzanian Government. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  4. "Tanzania National Park Authority Homepage". TANAPA. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  5. "History |TANZANIA NATIONAL PARKS". www.tanzaniaparks.go.tz. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  6. "TANAPA Investment Prospectus 2013" (PDF). tanapa.co.tz. Tanzania National park Authority. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  7. "Tanapa Statistics" (PDF). Tanzania National Parks Org. Government of Tanzania.
  8. Thome, Wolfgang (24 November 2015). "Two new Husky A-1C aircraft boost-anti poaching surveillance capacity for TANAPA". ETN Turbo News. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  9. "List of Aerodromes in Tanzania" (PDF). Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  10. "Press Release - "Arson halts wildebeest migration"" (PDF). Tanzania Parks. Tanzania National Park Authority. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
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