Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

WCS Tanzania

About WCS Tanzania Program

We work to protect Tanzania’s unique biodiversity and rich natural heritage through science, landscape level interventions, community support, species conservation and addressing key global challenges.

The Wildlife Conservation Society has been working in Tanzania since 1956 with a unified country program since 2006. WCS has carried out a vast range of activities, encompassing training, research, monitoring, institutional and community support, education, and the creation, extension and management of key protected areas.

CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE

Tanzania has unparalleled wildlife and natural resources. 

Perched on the crossroads of many of the extensive biomes that cover Africa, it also boasts the highest and lowest points on the continent; the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the bottom of Lake Tanganyika. 

Whilst recognised for its unmatched concentrations of large herbivores, the remarkable diversity of habitats from coral reefs to montane forests all combine to make Tanzania one of the most biodiverse and natural resource rich nations in Africa.

THREATS

There are many issues that affect conservation in Tanzania including poverty, education, human and wildlife health, human population, development pressures, governance, land use planning, and technical and financial capacity. 

WCS strives to engage these key issues in its conservation work, all with a view to helping Tanzania conserve its extraordinary wildlife and environment.

WCS APPROACH

Given the intrinsic link between the environment and sustainable development, conservation must maintain an equilibrium between human and ecosystem needs. Communities around protected areas need support in the management of natural resources, so that they can benefit directly from conservation, protect water and fuel supplies and better manage human-animal conflicts. WCS develops community-based initiatives that reinforce better management of key species and habitats, and thus strengthen their survival and integrity. 

WCS also supports government and other non-government institutions to manage and monitor key landscapes and species nationwide.

The WCS Tanzania Program employs over 50 full-time Tanzanian and 4 expatriate staff, with offices in Mbeya, Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Zanzibar. There are 4 main land/seascape programs.