Wildlife conservation in (Wildlife Management Areas) WMAs is key to boosting local ecotourism and livelihoods related activities for the communities living around WMAs. To ensure sustainable measures in wildlife monitoring, patrols and habitat assessment, data is key for informed decision making by the relevant authorities. In light of this, Tanzania Natural Resources Forum (TNRF) in collaboration with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Centre for Research Cooperation (CRC) trained for three days attended by 54 participants comprising of VGS and their leaders from MAKAO and IKONA WMAs and District Game Officers (DGOs); on Management Oriented Monitoring Skills (MOMS) - a simplified conservation monitoring system that enables VGS to collect, store and relay on wildlife related matters on real time.
This training was informed by the just concluded ecological baseline survey which recommended and established standard MOMs system for WMAs. To ensure this system works best, TNRF handed over computer (Server), phones, binoculars and wifi router to facilitate this digital technology process. MOMs system was then set up in the two WMAs with practical sessions on how to gather, download, and analyze information. Data collection and analysis is supported by Open Data Kit (ODK) software. Training also entailed human rights and conservation through good practices in environmental safeguards.
The training is an outcome of BMZ Climate Facility Project “Protection of key ecosystems, increased resilience, and adaptation for their sustainable use” A project that is funded by Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through WWF Germany in Partnership with Engagement Global. Project is being implemented in three WMAs- (Makao, Ikona and Enduimet) and also extends to Mkomazi wildlife corridor and Lake Natron Ecosystem.