ARUSHA: Tanzania has paid more than 13.28 billion shillings (about $5.2 million) in compensation to tens of thousands of citizens affected by attacks or damage caused by wild animals over the past five years, the government said on Wednesday.
The payments were made to 56,331 people between 2020 and 2025 as part of efforts to ease the economic burden on communities living near conservation areas, according to Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Ashatu Kijaji.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of World Wildlife Day celebrations in the northern city of Arusha, Kijaji said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to balancing wildlife conservation with the protection of people’s livelihoods.
“As part of efforts to reduce human–wildlife conflict, this initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to protecting citizens’ lives and property while conserving national resources with fairness and humanity,” she said.
The annual event was held under the theme “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods.”
Conflicts between humans and wildlife remain a persistent challenge in Tanzania, particularly in communities bordering protected areas where animals such as elephants, lions and buffaloes can destroy crops, injure people or kill livestock.
Kijaji said the compensation scheme was designed to help affected families recover from losses caused by dangerous animals, especially elephants, which are responsible for a large share of crop destruction in rural areas.
Tanzania has one of the largest wildlife populations in the world and has set aside more than one-third of its land for conservation.
The network includes 21 national parks managed by the Tanzania National Parks Authority, 29 game reserves, 25 game-controlled areas, four wetland sites and 40 community-run wildlife management areas.
According to the minister, Tanzania hosts some of the largest populations of lions, leopards and buffaloes in Africa and ranks among the top three countries globally for elephant numbers.
The wildlife sector remains a cornerstone of Tanzania’s economy through tourism, which the government says generates more than 25 per cent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings and contributes about 17.1 per cent of gross domestic product.
The sector also supports roughly 1.6 million formal and informal jobs across the country.
Tanzania spends 97.6bn/- for environmental conservation, climate resilience projects
Kijaji said tourism continued to grow in recent years, with visitor numbers rising from 5.4 million in 2024 to about 5.9 million in 2025.
Tourism revenue increased during the same period from $3.9 billion to $4.4 billion, she said.
Tanzania has been a member of the global wildlife trade treaty Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora since 1979, according to the Director of Wildlife Alexander Lobora.
CITES, signed in 1973, regulates international trade in wildlife and plants to ensure endangered species are protected.
Lobora said the theme of this year’s World Wildlife Day highlights the importance of medicinal and aromatic plants for traditional medicine, nutrition and ecosystem health.
“Many wildlife species rely on plants for natural remedies, so protecting plant biodiversity is also essential for protecting animal habitats,” he said.
Despite conservation progress, authorities say the sector still faces challenges including increasing human-wildlife conflict, encroachment into protected areas for farming and livestock, blocked wildlife migration corridors and illegal wildlife trade.
To address these issues, the government has introduced several policy frameworks, including the Wildlife Policy Implementation Strategy (2023–2033), the National Anti-Poaching Strategy (2023–2033) and the Wildlife Corridor Restoration Strategic Plan (2022–2026).
Local leaders also called for stronger community participation in conservation.
Speaking on behalf of the Arusha Regional Commissioner, Arusha District Commissioner Joseph Mkude urged authorities to continue involving students and communities in environmental conservation programmes such as tree-planting campaigns.