The Role of Community Co-operative Associations in Coping with Effects of Climate Change for Sustaining Wildlife Management Ares (WMAs), in Tanzania

Abstract

Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are member village-based conservation co-operative organization(s) set up of socio-economic aims with user rights of wildlife resources within it. In recent years increasingly featuring as one of economic sub sectors contributing to economic and socioeconomic prosperity of a village or groups of villages surrendered its land for conservation of wildlife resources adjacent to core protected areas in Tanzania. However, the sub-sector is fragile subject to many internal and external shocks making it prone to social, political, ecological and climatic changes for its sustainability. The areas depend entirely on tourism both consumptive and non-consumptive already established in core protected areas as its strongholds that also in tum vulnerable to very shocks. The outcome of the global climatic changes and economic financial meltdown ascertain that Tanzania largely depends upon international tourism-driven revenues for its maintenance of her tourist attractions including WMAs. The effect of economic recession on the growth of the industry also undermines the financial basis of natural resources conservation measures. All these shocks lead to the conclusion that Tanzania is not ready to overcome these external events which are catalysts for internal shocks. This paper suggests and calls for concerted efforts for sustainable financing mechanisms like establishment of "WMA Trust Fund" to guarantee the continued maintenance of the WMA 's attractions and productions to minimally off-set shocks, and save as savings and Credit Cooperative Schemes (SACCOS) to individual villager.