Overview : The Government of Tanzania, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP,) and in collaboration with sectors dealing with biodiversity and climate change issues in the country, seeks to access GEF-7 resources by developing a bankable proposal that integrates biodiversity conservation and climate change issues. The main objective of the proposed project is “to consolidate & scale up the network of Nature Forest Reserves for enhanced biodiversity conservation that is climate-resilient and financially sustainable”. Forested areas are estimated to cover 48.1 million ha (55%) of the total land surface area of Tanzania (88.6 million ha). About 44.7 million ha (93%) of forestlands are classified as woodlands and 3.4 million ha (7%) are classified as catchment forests, mangroves, coastal forests and forest plantations. In total, protected areas approximately 28 million ha (58.2%) of the forested areas are categorized as nature forest reserves, forest reserves (natural protective and productive reserves), plantations and wildlife protected areas. Harvesting of forest resources in productive natural forests and forest plantations is legally regulated to allow sustainable utilization of forest products. The country’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and addressing the impacts of climate change are being met through implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). These two initiatives reinforce the carbon-reduction pledge and calls for national and international commitment for climate change-responsive biodiversity conservation. The proposed new project concept to be elaborated in the PIF will build on an extensive baseline of work, which has been accomplished to date through government, NGO, community and donor-driven programmes and projects related to biodiversity and water-resources management at national, regional and local levels. In particular, it will build on advances made in securing the protection of Tanzania’s forests while delivering social benefits under the GEF-financed, UNDP supported Forest Nature Reserves project which effectively commenced its implementation in 2016 and is currently nearing completion. The new project will integrate enabling activities for mainstreaming mitigation concerns into sustainable development strategies and financial sustainability of the NFR network. |