Failure by design? Revisiting Tanzania's flagship Wildlife Management Area Burunge

Abstract

The authors revisit the on-the-ground reality of Burunge Wildlife Management Area (WMA) that is celebrated as one of Tanzania’s best examples of community-based conservation (CBC). They find Burunge WMA rife with conflict and contestation over grievances that remained unsettled since its establishment a decade ago. These grievances have been accentuated by growing land pressure resulting from increasing human, livestock, and elephant populations, in combination with infrastructure improvements and support for agriculture-led development. This research was supported by the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) programme