Supporting the Implementation of Integrated Ecosystem Management Approach for Landscape Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation in Tanzania

Key Issues:

• Evictions
• Human Rights Abuses

Case updates:

The Oakland Institute raised an issue on behalf of the local communities regarding the project's backing of policies and institutional structures aimed at minimizing landscape degradation, especially considering the government's widespread violation of the land and livelihood rights of communities residing near Ruaha National Park (NP).

The institute alleged that Local communities living within the Great Ruaha River basin, one of the project’s target areas, are facing imminent evictions, extrajudicial killings, and cattle seizures to force them from their lands and allow for the expansion of Ruaha NP.

On 8th June 2023, following a thorough due diligence, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) officially accepted the concern.

On July 3, 2023, the Vice President's Office of Tanzania communicated with UNEP, stating that, after a mapping exercise and consultations with the relevant district and villages of the project sites, no reports of such incidents had been received by the district office.

On July 8, 2023, a UNEP team conducted a fact-finding mission at the project site. The team engaged with essential project stakeholders at the Mbarali District Council office, holding discussions with the Council Executive Director, District Chair, and council members from the eight project sites. During these visits and subsequent consultations, the stakeholders consistently conveyed that they had no knowledge of any incidents. Notably, there were no reports of extrajudicial killings, evictions, or cattle seizures, even in villages beyond the UNEP/GEF project sites within the district.

As such, UNEP holds the position that the accusations are unrelated to the project currently being implemented by UNEP. Nonetheless, UNEP suggests that the government of Tanzania should conduct additional investigations to uncover the underlying causes of the allegations. Additionally, UNEP informed the project team to report any human rights case with Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHR)