Biodiversity Analysis of Target Wildlife Connectivity Areas

The analysis focused on six corridors: Kwakuchinja, Nyerere Selous - Udzungwa, Tarangire - Simanjiro, Kigosi Moyowosi - Uvinza, Amani - Nilo, and Pemba Channel Conservation Area (PECCA). The study aimed to improve biophysical conditions in these areas by reducing direct threats such as poaching, unsustainable grazing, and climate change. The analysis used a combination of desktop research, key informant interviews, and Earth Observation (EO) data to gather information. Desktop research involved collecting data from existing resources, including journal papers and publications, which provided basic information used as a benchmark for further analysis. Key informant interviews were conducted with stakeholders who had knowledge of the areas and were working on the ground. EO data was used to establish baseline conditions and track indicators related to improved management of biologically significant areas and biophysical conditions. The EO data used in the analysis included land cover/land use, tree loss, and wildfire data. This data has the potential to augment and complement traditional evidence gathering methods by improving data collection cost efficiency, ensuring standardized and comparable data collection across space and time, and facilitating data collection across a broad geographic scope. The temporal monitoring of land cover and land use change is valuable for appropriate planning, utilization, and management of natural resources. The analysis used remote sensing datasets, including the Sentinel Land cover map of Africa, Global Forest Change, and MODIS FIRMS, to examine land cover changes in the terrestrial wildlife corridors. The study aimed to better understand the land cover changes in these corridors by analyzing remote sensing datasets. The results of the analysis will be used to inform adaptive management of the USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity and other relevant programs. The biodiversity analysis is part of the USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity, which aims to improve biophysical conditions in the selected corridors by reducing direct threats. The Activity has three objectives: building institutional capacities of both public and private stakeholders, increasing private sector engagement in biodiversity conservation and natural resources management, and improving the policy, regulatory, and enabling environment for biodiversity conservation and NRM. The Activity will implement multiple interventions within the selected corridors to improve management and consequently biophysical conditions. The interventions will aim to reduce direct threats and improve biophysical conditions, and the results will be monitored to demonstrate improvement or stability of previous decline of the mentioned areas over time. The movement and presence of animals using the corridor will also be monitored, where animals were not using the corridor before, this will be measured as an improved biophysical condition. The biodiversity analysis has been conducted to inform adaptive management of the USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity and other relevant programs. The results of the analysis will be used to develop strategies for improving biophysical conditions in the selected corridors and to inform the development of policies and regulations that support biodiversity conservation and NRM in Tanzania. The Activity will also monitor the movement and presence of animals using the corridor, where animals were not using the corridor before, this will be measured as an improved biophysical condition. The results of the analysis will be used to inform adaptive management of the USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity and other relevant programs. The Activity aims to improve biophysical conditions in the selected corridors by reducing direct threats and improving management, and the results will be monitored to demonstrate improvement or stability of previous decline of the mentioned areas over time.