Reviewing the coherence and effectiveness of implementation of multilateral biodiversity agreements in Tanzania

The report evaluates Tanzania's adherence to four global biodiversity conventions using a 15-category review methodology. While Tanzania is found to have a strong legal and policy framework, it struggles with financing, monitoring, and the practical enforcement of laws, particularly regarding illegal ivory trade under CITES. The study concludes that implementation effectiveness is moderate overall, with significant gaps in human and technical capacity and a heavy reliance on international donor funding.

• Tanzania's legal and policy framework for environmental governance is considered adequate, with the country having ratified all four biodiversity conventions and related agreements.
• Enforcement of biodiversity laws is weak, specifically regarding CITES, with reports of high levels of elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade involving corrupt officials.
• Tanzania lacks a formal national monitoring system for the implementation of biodiversity MEAs, relying instead on ad hoc sectoral programmes for specific species or projects.
• Financial resources for biodiversity management are insufficient, leaving the government heavily dependent on multilateral, bilateral, and international NGO funding.
• There is a critical shortage of competent technical staff across the conservation sector, with staff often misallocated to tasks outside their expertise.
• Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) have been effective in preventing harmful projects, such as a proposed highway through the Serengeti and a soda ash factory at Lake Natron.
• While biodiversity conservation supports the tourism industry—which earned USD 1.16 billion in 2009—local communities often fail to capture direct financial benefits.
• Tanzania engages in various cross-border cooperation initiatives, including the SADC Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and the Nile Basin Initiative, though implementation is limited by a lack of resources.

APA

Senyagwa, J., & Noel, S. (2014). Reviewing the coherence and effectiveness of implementation of multilateral biodiversity agreements in Tanzania. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PR-2014-Tanzania-multilateral-biodiversity-agreements.pdf

Chicago

Senyagwa, Jacqueline, and Stacey Noel. Reviewing the coherence and effectiveness of implementation of multilateral biodiversity agreements in Tanzania. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PR-2014-Tanzania-multilateral-biodiversity-agreements.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Senyagwa |first1=Jacqueline |last2=Noel |first2=Stacey |title=Reviewing the coherence and effectiveness of implementation of multilateral biodiversity agreements in Tanzania |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PR-2014-Tanzania-multilateral-biodiversity-agreements.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{senyagwa2014reviewing, author = {Senyagwa, Jacqueline and Noel, Stacey}, title = {{Reviewing the coherence and effectiveness of implementation of multilateral biodiversity agreements in Tanzania}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PR-2014-Tanzania-multilateral-biodiversity-agreements.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }