Selous Reserve, Tanzania's largest protected area was home to one of the greatest concentrations of African elephants on the continent, but rampant ivory poaching has seen the population reduced by 90 per cent in fewer than 40 years. Nearly 110,000 elephants once roamed the savannahs, wetlands and forests of Selous, but now only about 15,000 remain in the ecosystem.
The analysis, produced for WWF by Dalberg Global Development Advisors, shows how the loss of Selous' elephants would have a negative effect on Tanzania's nature based economy, putting the livelihoods of 1.2 million people at risk. Travel and tourism in Selous generate US$6 million annually, and the industry nationwide represents a combined yearly contribution of US$5 billion to the GDP of Tanzania, which holds world renowned assets such as Mount Kilimanjaro and Serengeti National Park.
Chris Gee, WWF-UK's lead Campaigner for Shared Heritage comments:
The poaching crisis in Selous acts as a stark reminder of the tragic impacts caused by the illegal wildlife trade. This industrial level poaching is not only devastating elephant populations but threatens livelihoods of local communities and risks destroying this World Heritage site. The Tanzanian government must ensure they commit to achieving zero poaching of elephants in Selous by 2018 and stop industrial scale activities that threaten the World Heritage status of the site. We need to work together to help Tanzania realise the full social and economic value of this irreplaceable habitat."
In 2014, UNESCO placed Selous on its List of World Heritage in Danger due to the severity of elephant poaching. At the recent peak of the crisis, an average of six Selous elephants were being gunned down by criminal syndicates each day.
UNESCO also has expressed concerns about other potentially harmful industrial activities threatening the reserve, such as mining, oil and gas exploration, and dam construction. Selous' status will be on the global agenda again at the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee next month.
In order for Selous to be removed from UNESCO's in danger list, WWF is calling for greater effort in combatting wildlife crime, an assessment of the impacts of proposed industrial activities, investment in sustainable tourism infrastructure, and an equitable distribution of benefits to nearby communities.
Amani Ngusaru Country Director of WWF-Tanzania comments:
"Selous is the only natural World Heritage site in southern Tanzania and one of the largest wilderness areas left in Africa. Its value to Tanzania - and indeed to the rest of the world - is dependent on its large wildlife populations and pristine ecosystems."
Lianne Mason | WWF-UK Press Office Manager
T: +44 (0)1483 412206 | M: +44 (0)7415230338
Please share via social media using the hashtag #SharedHeritage
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit www.panda.org/news for latest news and media resources.