Zambezi River Basin

Tanzania is a large country with vast biological diversity and high numbers of threatened species, well documented. According to IUCN (2008), Tanzania has 10 008 known species of higher plants including endemic and non-endemic, out of which 235 (2.9 per cent) are threatened. Of the 316 known mammal species 42 are threatened (excluding marine mammals). There are 229 known breeding bird species out of which 33 are threatened (excluding those that migrate to the country in the northern winter); 335 known reptile species out of which 5 are threatened; and 116 amphibian species and 331 known fish species out of which 17 are threatened. The Tanzanian government has made significant progress in reducing the number of threatened species by 10 per cent between 2003 and 2008, as shown in Figure 4.40.

Change in proportion of land area covered by forests in Tanzania

Percentage

50

40

30

20

10

0

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

Source: FAO 2010

Figure 4.38

The extent of carbon emissions is not well documented and is not a significant factor in environmental sustainability in Tanzania at present. The estimated figures are still low, although increasing due to extensive exploration and developments of gas and oil, and growing use of fossil fuels. Reverse biodiversity loss by 2010 Tanzania has the second highest proportion of national protected areas among the Basin states, after Zambia, with 28 per cent of the country set aside for national parks, conservation areas, game reserves, and controlled and protected areas (Figure 4.39). Tanzania has been working hard to meet world limits of 20 per cent protected coastal areas by 2012. Famous marine parks in Tanzania include Mafia Island Marine Park and Mnazi Bay Conservation Area.

Number of threatened species in Tanzania

400 Number of species

390

380

370

360

350

340

330

320

2000

2003

2008

Source: IUCN 2008

Figure 4.40

The greatest species concentrations of fish and molluscs are within the three African Great Lakes and most are endemic to single lakes. Lake Tanganyika is the richest in biodiversity of molluscs with between 60 and 80 species recorded, depending on the study (IUCN 2011). The main centres of threatened fish species are within Lake Victoria and Lake Nyasa (Malawi/Niassa), due to the combined impacts of invasive species, eutrophication and overfishing. Beyond the Great Lakes, the Rufiji/Ruaha, Pangani, and Malagarasi River basins also have high species richness. The main recorded threats are loss of habitat due to agricultural encroachment into wetland areas and the eutrophication and sedimentation of the riverine habitat (IUCN 2011).

Protected areas share of total land area in Namibia 0

28%

Source: SADC and SARDC 2008

Figure 4.39

101