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Our project area contains Katavi National Park, Rukwa-Lukwati Game Reserves, Lwafi Game Reserve, the surrounding forest reserves and game controlled areas as well as the village land adjacent to these. The approximate area of our work is shown in the map below.
Photographic tourism, meat and trophy hunting, timber and non timber products from the woodlands and agriculture are the main landuses of the Katavi Rukwa ecosystem. The neighbouring communities are poor and depend for their livelihoods a lot on nature’s resources. These natural resources are endangered to be overexploited by the ever growing human population. Wildlife corridors are still unprotected and forest reserves need more effective control to ensure sustainable use.
The
village communities need to be supported in health and educational issues,
since malaria and other diseases weaken them and schooling system does
not reach a qualitative level.
The natural vegetation contains large woodlands and wide floodplains,
as well shrublands. The wildlife is still abundant. Particularly the protected
areas harbour large herds of elephants and buffaloes, many zebras, sable
and roan antelope, topis, kongonis, giraffe, all large African carnivores,
like the lion, cheetah, leopard and rare and threatened wilddogs.
More information about the perl of Rukwa Region, Katavi National Park, can be found here.