The government has being pushed to give animal protection top priority in the next National Development Vision Plan 2050, with an emphasis on shielding endangered species like black rhinos from the mounting dangers brought on by climate change.
To guarantee that there are clear plans for protecting animals in the event of a climate emergency, experts are urging the new development vision to include climate adaptation and mitigation measures.
In a recent interview, Noah Sitati, a wildlife species expert with WWF Tanzania, emphasized that protected wildlife places, such as national parks, are just as susceptible to the effects of climate change as human populations. He underlined the necessity of taking prompt action.
“We have recommended that the government take wildlife issues into account as they are developing the development vision. According to Sitati, “it is up to humans to establish sustainable and protective measures for the survival of wildlife and nature.”
He emphasized how reproduction problems in wildlife, especially in rare species like black rhinos, are greatly impacted by climate change.
Invasive species, high rainfall, and drought are a few of the main environmental hazards facing animal conservation areas. The health and reproductive state of rare wildlife species could be jeopardized without measures in place to address these issues, which could result in population decreases or possibly extinction, Sitati cautioned.
He added that government efforts to preserve endangered wildlife species for future generations are greatly aided by the business sector.
According to information obtained by this journalist, the implications of climate change threaten the survival of wildlife species, which runs counter to Sustainable Development Goal No. 15 (SDG 15), which emphasizes the vital role that biodiversity plays in supporting humankind.
The objective emphasizes how the steady loss of forest cover, along with the startling rate at which species are becoming extinct and the inaction in protecting important areas of biodiversity, endangers the delicate ecosystem balance that is necessary for the existence of wildlife.
Black rhino protection is one area where Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Angellah Kairuki, emphasized efforts to fortify wildlife protection during the budget presentation for 2024–25 in the National Assembly in May.
During the previous fiscal year, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) carried out 251 patrols, which led to the arrest of 339 suspects for offenses involving wildlife, the seizure of more than 16,000 animals that were grazing illegally in the parks, and the confiscation of four rifles.
In order to eradicate unwanted reptiles and insects, the NCAA also eliminated invasive plant species from 866.68 hectares and carried out controlled burning on 2,156 hectares in the Ngorongoro Crater and Ndutu areas.
The ministry has created a LoRa WAN rhino tracking system to track the survival of black rhinos across all national parks and reserved regions in an effort to protect these animals. Additionally, Kairuki revealed intentions to create rhino sanctuaries in the national parks of Burigi-Chato and Mikumi in order to encourage rhino tourism.
Large animal populations in national parks have increased as a result of government activities; according to current estimates, there are 17,000 lions, 225,000 buffaloes, and 24,000 leopards.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism’s Principal Wildlife Officer, Antonia Raphael, stated that her office has already solicited feedback from stakeholders about wildlife issues and what ought to be incorporated into the new development vision with regard to wildlife welfare.
Issues pertaining to climate change have been included in the National Development Vision 2050 plans. In light of the climate change crisis, the government is keen to guarantee that wildlife is protected, according to Raphael.
The International Rhino Foundation’s 2023 State of the Rhino Report, which emphasizes the growing threats that climate change poses to rhino survival, emphasizes how urgent it is to address this issue.
Droughts brought on by climate change are posing serious problems for human populations in Africa, which have a domino effect on animals.
Competition for water supplies may intensify hostilities between groups of people and wildlife, putting rhinos and other animals in closer proximity to humans.
Increased poaching as a means of generating cash could also be caused by poverty brought on by losses to crops and livestock. Dry weather may also increase the likelihood of wildfires, endangering rhino habitats even more.
On the other hand, rhinos in Asia are directly being harmed by longer monsoon seasons and more precipitation, as floods can leave rhinos stranded, drown them, or even split their calves from their moms. With stronger storms, these effects are predicted to get worse.
In October 2021, the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) reported a severe drought in the country’s north, affecting Manyara, Arusha, and Kilimanjaro. This drought put human and wildlife water resources at risk. With temperatures 0.5 degrees Celsius higher than the long-term average from 1981 to 2021, 2021 was dubbed the fourth driest year since 1970.
In response, the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) was given 12.9 billion Tanzanian Shillings for wildlife management initiatives, while the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) spent 669.4 billion Tanzanian Shillings building dams.
Eight buffaloes died in 2021, according to the Kiteto District Council in the Manyara region, but at least four huge animals were saved from muddy ponds each week.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism announced that the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park ecosystem, which is home to 80% of Tanzania’s black rhino population, have avoided the harshest effects of the drought in 2022.
According to a September 2022 report by the Wildlife Research and Training Institute in Kenya, there has been only one rhino death reported in the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary in Tsavo West National Park, suggesting that the drought has not had a substantial impact on the rhino population.
A January 2023 research report examined how future climate change would affect Southern African populations of black and white rhinoceroses
The study was carried out in the following locations: Hwange Park in Zimbabwe; Tsavo West Park in Kenya; Kruger Park in South Africa; Etosha Park in Namibia; and Hlane Royal Park in Eswatini.
According to the study, rhinos may experience stress, have less access to food, and face other difficulties as a result of rising temperatures and increasingly dry landscapes by 2085, possibly rendering some habitats unsuitable for rhinos.
The paper states that the RCP4.5 scenarios, which depict an expected future on climate policies, predict an average warming of 2.5°C (4.5°F) by 2085 and 2.2°C (4°F) by 2055 across the five parks from the pre-industrial baseline. These scenarios limit and achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations to 4.5 W m-2 by 2100.
However, by 2055 and 2085, respectively, the high-emissions scenario, RCP8.5, predicts an increase of 2.8°C (5°F) and 4.6°C (8.3°F). The paper states that poaching, a serious and persistent threat, has been the main concern of African rhino conservationists.However, the effects of climate change on rhinos present a further risk.
The study emphasizes how crucial it is to safeguard these iconic species by integrating measures for mitigating and adapting to climate change with efforts to avoid poaching.
To create and carry out these initiatives, local communities must be involved in collaborations between governments, park administrators, and conservation organizations.
