Into the woods - Protecting Tanzania’s forest landscape and biodiversity legacy

Kigoma is also where Jane Goodall first began her research on wild chimpanzees in 1960. Today, the chimps still play in the trees of Gombe Stream National Park.

But this lush landscape and its rare wildlife face pressure from one of the fastest-growing populations in Tanzania. With the highest birth rates in the country and a history of receiving refugees from neighboring Burundi and DRC, Kigoma’s biodiversity legacy is in danger as more and more land is taken over by farming and grazing. Over the long term, these human activities will become unsustainable as deforestation leads to the loss of fresh water and fertile soil.

USAID is collaborating with the Jane Goodall Institute to build a more sustainable future in Kigoma by connecting its people to the promise of their land and forests.

The work begins in the Jane Goodall Institute's geospatial lab, where satellite data is used to map the landscape and track patterns of deforestation or reforestation across Kigoma and the Greater Gombe Ecosystem.

Forest monitors also gather on-the-ground information about land use, illegal poaching and other factors that drive deforestation and conflict with wildlife. They are trained to use GPS-enabled smartphones and tablets to upload that information directly into the Jane Goodall Institute's database.

In southern Kigoma, where human activities encroach on forests and wildlife, the Jane Goodall Institute works with local governments and communities to set up protected forest areas that cannot be used for agriculture, grazing or timber harvesting.

Communities also receive support to create cooperatives that generate income through sustainable livelihoods such as beekeeping or coffee growing. These activities depend on forests and thus give cooperative members a vested interest in preserving Kigoma's natural resources.

In northern parts of Kigoma that have already been heavily deforested, the Jane Goodall Institute helps communities bring their forests back to life. Community nurseries are staffed by dedicated attendants who ensure seedlings grow strong for future planting.

These communities are trained to work with government on effective land-use planning so that future generations will inherit healthy forests that can both sustain wildlife and keep the land fertile for traditional livelihoods.

As a result of this work, Tanzanians are turning the tide on deforestation in many parts of Kigoma. The landscape is once again lush and green in areas where, just a decade ago, forests were in danger of being lost forever.

And Tanzanian youth have a reason to celebrate their hope for the future.