2012
GUARDIANSAPPEAL
UK
SustainabilityClimate ChangeConservation
Nurturing new roots~
LIVING ON THE EDGE
Few places on Earth can match the vibrancy and diversity of life in coastaleast Africa. Where else can you find vast swathes of woodland, lush tropicalrainforests, mangroves, palm-fringed beaches, coral reefs and seagrassbeds, all within a few hundred kilometres of each other?
The region’s coastal forests are home to hundreds of
species found nowhere else. Its waters sustain five of
the seven species of marine turtle found globally – all
of which are endangered – as well as whales, dolphins
and the increasingly rare dugong. But this unique and
incredible place is under huge and increasing pressure.
An expanding population, and demands from world
markets for products such as tuna, shrimp, timber,
gas and oil is driving environmental destruction at an
unprecedented scale and pace. Only 10% of the region’s
coastal natural vegetation still remains, and in the past
50 years, fish catches have plummeted by almost half
due to over-harvesting. In the longer term, the
predicted impacts of climate change are expected to
exacerbate these problems. If the situation continues
unabated, the remaining remnants of fragile habitats
and the species they support could be lost, and the lives
of local people who depend heavily on natural resources
will suffer.
We’re working hard to conserve east Africa’s coastal
forests and marine environment, engaging governments
and local communities, and reducing human impact
through a range of approaches. Our long-term and
trusted presence in the region means we’re already
making progress, and with the Guardians beside us
we can do even more.
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FORESTS OF LIFE
East Africa’s coastal forests are a diverse mosaic of natural vegetation,including moist evergreen forest, Miombo woodland, scrub forest, dryforest, swamps, grassland and mangroves. These wildlife treasure trovesare home to an amazingly high density of plants and smaller animals, aswell as elephant, African hunting dog, leopard and antelope.
Unique and rare speciesMany of these plants and animals are found nowhere
else on Earth. More than 200 species of forest birds
have been recorded in the coastal forests of Kenya
and Tanzania alone, of which eleven species and eight
sub-species are endemic. They include the tiny Sokoke
scops-owl, now listed as endangered because of its very
small, severely fragmented range.
Golden-rumped sengi
East Africa’s coastal forests are the most important areas
in the world for elephant shrews, or ‘sengis’. Three of the
four known species of giant elephant shrew – about the
size of a small cat – are found nowhere else, including
the endangered golden-rumped sengi, now confined to
only two small patches of coastal forest in Kenya.
Aders duiker
This tiny forest antelope is thought to have once ranged
widely across eastern Africa’s coastal forests, yet
numbers have plummeted over the last two decades,
largely due to hunting and habitat destruction. A new,
globally important population has recently been
discovered in Kenya’s Boni-Dodori forests.
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1,750EAST AFRICA’S COASTAL FORESTS AREHOME TO 1,750 ENDEMIC PLANT SPECIES,INCLUDING EIGHT SPECIES OF WILD COFFEE
Flame tree
A species of flame tree previously thought to be extinct,
and which is found nowhere else in the world, has been
rediscovered in the little known Namatimbili-Ngarama
forest block, in south east Tanzania.
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MOZAMBIQUE
TANZANIA
KENYA
E
Moçambique
Dar-es-Salaam
Mombasa
Nairobi
Zanzibar
coastal east africaecoregion
1.4 MILLION SQ KMTHE COASTAL EAST AFRICA ECOREGION COVERS AN AREAOF AROUND 1.4 MILLION SQ KM, FROM SOUTHERNSOMALIA, THROUGH KENYA, TANZANIA AND MOZAMBIQUE
22 MILLIONTHE REGION IS HOME TO AROUND
22 MILLION PEOPLE. THE COASTALPOPULATION GROWTH RATE IS
5-6% EACH YEAR, ALMOST TWICEAS HIGH AS INLAND AREAS
400+MORE THAN 400 SPECIESHAVE BEEN DISCOVERED INCOASTAL EAST AFRICA IN THELAST 10 YEARS INCLUDING261 INVERTEBRATES, 28 FISH,25 AMPHIBIANS, 19 REPTILES,10 BIRDS, 7 MAMMALS AND93 PLANTS
Dar-es-Salaam
Mombasa
Nairobi
Zanzibar
kilwa
mafia island
rumakiseascapeproject area
Jaja village
matumbi-kitchiproject area(coastal forests)
boni-Dodoricoastal forests
kwale project area(coastal forests)
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Dugongs grazing on seagrass beds in warm, shallow waters, magnificentcoral reefs teeming with colourful fish, marine turtles nesting on palm-fringed beaches. The coastlines of Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambiquecontain an abundance of different habitats, and host around 11,000species of marine life, around 15% of which are unique to the region.
Hawksbill turtle
The critically endangered hawksbill turtle helps to
maintain marine ecosystems by transporting nutrients
from rich coral reef feeding grounds to relatively
nutrient-poor nesting beaches. Worldwide, populations
have reduced by 80% in the last three generations,
largely due to habitat degradation, poaching and
accidental entanglement in fishing gear.
Dugong
The dugong, or ‘sea cow,’ is related to the manatee.
Once plentiful in east African coastal waters, they are
now classified as threatened on the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and seen
far less frequently. Their decline has been largely due to
hunting, a reduction in the seagrass meadows they feed
on – and all too often they are accidentally caught in
fishing nets and drown.
Whale shark
The largest of all sharks, they can grow to an incredible
17 metres long. In Tanzania, fishermen avoid them
because of the potential damage to their nets, though
they are sometimes caught accidentally.
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400AROUND 400 SPECIES OF FISH, AND AHOST OF CORALS, MOLLUSCS, SPONGES,STARFISH AND SEA URCHINS ARE FOUND INMAFIA ISLAND MARINE PARK, TANZANIA
Mozambique has the most remaining pristine coastal forest cover, almost 5,000 sq km,
and although much of it is still relatively undisturbed, the vast majority is unprotected.
Overall across the region, only around one fifth of the area covered by coastal forest is
protected in some way, and only 4% is under the highest levels of protection.
Unhealthy harvestInternational demand for timber is driving deforestation at alarmingly high and
unsustainable levels. Around 80% of Mozambique’s timber exports are traded to
China. In Tanzania and Mozambique, an estimated 6,000 sq km of forest each year
is lost to illegal logging, charcoal production, agriculture and other development.
This equates to an area four times the size of greater London – representing one of
the highest loss rates in the world. The impacts of climate change are also likely to
increase the pressures on forest habitats and the animals and plants within them.
1/5THONLY 1/5TH OF THE
REGION’S REMAININGCOASTAL FORESTS HAVE
ANY FORM OF PROTECTION
FRAGILE AND FRAGMENTEDOf the nearly 300,000 sq km of natural vegetation that once coveredcoastal east Africa, only 10% remains. Vast swathes of forest, grassland,mangrove and scrub have been cleared for agricultural land, timber, fuelwood and charcoal production. Just 400 patches of forest are left acrossKenya and Tanzania, and most are less than 20 sq km in size.
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Agriculture
Demand for farmland to support subsistence agriculture
poses a major threat to coastal forests. Forests are also
being cleared, often by destructive slash and burn
methods, for commercial agriculture, such as coconut,
sisal, clove, cardamom and cashew nut plantations.
Illegal logging
Unsustainable, illegal logging is an increasing problem.
An estimated 50-70% of Mozambique’s timber is illegally
logged, costing the government around £15 million
annually in lost revenue.
Infrastructure and mining
Poorly planned developments such as roads, pipelines,
hotels, residential housing and oil, gas and mineral
extraction are all adding to coastal habitat loss. Coastal
forests often have a wealth of mineral resources,
including oil, gas, gemstones, iron, manganese, titanium,
ancient coral bedrock and kaolin, that in some areas are
being exploited using destructive mining practices.
Charcoal and fuel wood
The vast majority of people in the region rely on charcoal
and fuel wood for domestic energy. This is causing major
forest habitat loss, especially near towns and cities.
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n 60%AN ESTIMATED 60% OFNATURAL HABITATS INCOASTAL EAST AFRICAHAVE BEEN CONVERTEDOVER TIME TO FARMLANDAND URBAN AREAS
SUPPORTING WILDLIFE THROUGH PEOPLE
EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIESWe’re working closely with Kenya’sindigenous Boni people, to help givethem more influence over the futureof their forest home.
The Boni-Dodori forests harbour elephants, buffalo,
African hunting dogs and leopards, as well as a stunning
variety of unique frogs, lizards, insects, invertebrates and
plants. They’re home to the Boni community too, who
rely heavily on the natural resources around them for
their survival and income. Ensuring the forests stay
healthy and intact is vital, which is why we’re helping the
Boni develop forest and wildlife management systems
that will help them take ownership of their natural
environment and have a real say in its protection.
Protecting east Africa’s coastal forests is a conservation priority for us. Withso little left, we’re campaigning hard to gain better protection for all of them.We’re actively addressing threats such as illegal logging and unsustainablecharcoal production, and helping local people find alternative livelihoods toreduce pressure on fragile forest ecosystems. The following are just a fewexamples of our work.
A key step towards this is identifying and monitoring the
animals that live in the forests. Recently we supported
camera trap surveys, undertaken by the Zoological
Society of London (ZSL) to get a feel for the wildlife in
the area. The results were unexpected and amazing.
As well as capturing images of leopard, porcupine,
caracal and other known forest dwellers, the photos
have confirmed the presence of what could turn out to
be the world’s largest known population of the critically
endangered forest antelope, Aders duiker. A possible new
species of elephant shrew was also photographed, and is
being researched further. Other treasures could yet be
revealed, making it all the more important to protect
what’s left of this incredible place.
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MAKING WOOD WORKWe’re enabling local people likeRafii Hashim to make a living whilstreducing their impact on the forest.
Rafii’s a 56-year-old father who lives in Kinsangi
village in the southern district of Lindi, Tanzania. He
wants to give his children a more secure future, and
today he has every reason to be hopeful. The forests
from which he and his fellow villagers earn their living
are now Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified,
which means they’re being carefully managed to
international standards, with all activities sanctioned
by the government and community, and a fair price
being paid for the timber.
It wasn’t always the case. Before we helped the
community gain FSC certification the trees were being
harvested unsustainably, and the price people could
get for the wood was barely enough to survive on.
90%
“FSC is helping us conserve our forestsbetter,” says Rafii. “We’re now makingover Tsh 100,000 (around £40) for everycubic metre, and gaining knowledge thatwill help us harvest our trees in a waythat doesn’t harm the forest and ensuresit will be there for our children to enjoy.” rafii Hashim
HOPE FROM THE ASHESWe’re supporting changes in theway charcoal is currently produced,to make it more sustainable.
In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city, charcoal is
the main source of domestic energy, with over 90% of
people using it in one way or another. Most comes from
the surrounding woodlands, making charcoal
production a major threat to the forests.
The traditional method of producing charcoal involves
slowly burning wood in large earth mound kilns, which
are highly inefficient. We’re promoting the use of more
efficient kilns, and helping to ensure that charcoal
producers harvest wood more sustainably and replant
the forests they take it from. We’re also supporting the
development of community nurseries to provide tree
saplings for replanting, and dedicated plantations
where trees are grown specifically for charcoal
production. A recent study we carried out reveals that
producing charcoal from plantations can save an area
of forest equivalent to more than 2,000 football pitches
every year.
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IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA’SLARGEST CITY, 90% OF PEOPLE RELY ONCHARCOAL AS THEIR MAIN FUEL SOURCE
Most catches are from local fisheries using simple artisanal equipment such as hook
and line, hand spears, woven fish traps and various types of net. Total annual catches
from Mozambique are about 115,000 tonnes, with 90-95% being caught by artisanal
fishers. Other, more industrialised fishing methods, include motorised vessels
equipped with trawl nets hauled by power winches.
Food for thoughtIn Tanzania, the estimated average consumption of seafood per person is greater than
their combined consumption of meat and poultry. Hundreds of thousands of people
along the coast are employed in the fishing industry, including post-harvest activities
such as processing and marketing.
>300,000TONNES
TANZANIAN FISHERIES ALONECATCH OVER 300,000
TONNES OF FISH EACH YEAR
ON THE WAVES OF A CRISISMarine resources are under pressure along the entire length of coastal eastAfrica. In the past 50 years, fish catches have plummeted by over half dueto over-harvesting and habitat destruction. This huge loss of marine lifethreatens millions of poor local people who rely heavily on fish and seafoodas their main source of protein and income.
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>£30MILLIONEACH YEAR OVER £30 MILLIONWORTH OF FISH - MOSTLYSHRIMP AND TUNA - ISESTIMATED TO BE FISHEDILLEGALLY OR UNREPORTED IN MOZAMBIQUE
Bycatch
The accidental capture of non-target species in fishing
gear kills tonnes of juvenile fish each year, as well as
animals such as threatened dugongs and marine turtles.
Destructive fishing practices
Over the last few decades, destructive fishing methods
such as dynamite fishing have destroyed seagrass beds
and coral reefs, which act as vital fish nurseries and
breeding grounds. Unfortunately, despite being illegal
in all three countries, the practice still continues.
Overfishing
Illegal fishing and growing international demand for
tuna has placed the region’s tuna stocks under serious
threat. Although foreign fishing fleets pay to fish within
the region’s offshore areas, there is little monitoring of
their catches, and vessels are regularly recorded as
fishing illegally within inshore waters.
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TIDES OF CHANGE
In July 2005, we launched the Rufiji-Mafia-Kilwa
(RUMAKI) Seascape programme in association with
district councils in Rufiji, Kilwa, and Mafia Island. As
part of the programme we’ve helped establish and train
26 Beach Management Units (BMUs) involving
thousands of local people.
The BMUs coordinate and collaborate with one another
to help improve the management of shared local
fisheries. They watch out for illegal fishing and dynamite
blasting which they report to the local authorities, and
agree ‘no fishing’ areas. They also keep a record of any
threatened marine wildlife to help monitor numbers.
Together they establish and manage acceptable fishing
practices and arrange exchanges of harmful fishing
equipment for environmentally-friendly alternatives.
COASTAL GUARDIANSWe’re helping local communities inTanzania safeguard their naturalmarine resources.
Securing a healthy marine environment is vital, and involving coastalcommunities is key to making it happen. We’re working hard to help localpeople find alternative ways of making a living, improve the management of themarine resources around them, and protect vulnerable habitats and species.
Dugong conservationPart of our RUMAKI programme involves raising
local awareness of the need to protect threatened
dugongs. We’ve trained local community members
to record dugong sightings, and held conservation
workshops, including demonstrating the best ways
to free them from entanglement in fishing nets.
Tourists, particularly those visiting Mafia Island,
are becoming more aware and interested in these
incredible marine mammals.
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BACKING ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS
Sauli Salum lives in a fishing village near Kilwa in
Tanzania. When she’s not at school, seven year-old Sauli
helps her mother, who is a member of a milkfish farming
group. The milkfish are raised in ponds, then harvested
and sold every three months or so. It’s Sauli’s job to
collect the fingerlings (juvenile fish) that are placed in a
fishpond until they reach a weight of around 500g.
Milkfish are a fast growing and easily reared source of
protein and so far we’ve helped set up 25 farming groups.
We’ve also set up 22 pearl oyster farms. The oysters are
suspended from a floating bamboo raft, then ‘seeded,’ by
super-gluing a plastic bead onto the inside of the shell.
STAMPING OUT POVERTYWe’re enabling people to escape thepoverty trap and build sustainablealternative livelihoods.
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Many local people aspire to own or expand their own
small businesses, yet all too often lack the means to do
so. We’ve been establishing Village Cooperative Banks,
known as VICOBAs, which act as saving and loan schemes
in some of the region’s poorest coastal villages. Local
people deposit their savings and build up enough capital
to become eligible for a small loan to start or develop a
business. The profits they make are used to repay the loan,
support their children’s education, improve housing and
cover emergencies such as medical costs.
Khadija’s storyKhadija is 40 years-old and a mother of four children.
She lives in Njianne village, near Kilwa, Tanzania, and
joined her local VICOBA group in 2007. Her main
income comes from keeping goats, as well as selling
clothes and ‘mama lishe’ (fast food).
In 2007, Khadija borrowed Tsh 100,000 (around £40) to
invest in her fast food business. She made a small profit and
used it to take out a second loan of Tsh 200,000 (around
£80) to invest in her goat-keeping project. Her husband,
also a VICOBA member, contributed another Tsh 200,000
and the business has now grown from 30 goats to over 100,
bringing in much-needed income for the family and
enabling them to send two of their children to school.
£1MTO DATE 76 VICOBA’S ACROSS RUMAKI HAVE SUPPORTEDOVER 6,500 LOANS AND APPROXIMATELY £1 MILLIONHAS BEEN CIRCULATED
VICOBA RULESA strict set of rules is adhered to by
all VICOBA members. To prevent
passers-by from knowing how much money they
are depositing, members buy shares, each worth
between Tsh 5,000-12,000, which are identified by
a goat stamp. Savings are placed in a plastic bowl,
verified by the VICOBA treasurer, and then locked
in a safe box, secured by three padlocks. The key is
held by one of three members of the VICOBA’s
executive committee.
Over many months, the mother of pearl coating grows
over the bead, which is then turned into a piece of
jewellery and sold. In pilot trials, three fishermen earned
£400 for their pearl-seeded shells – a substantial
addition to their income.
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We’re helping to introducealternative ways of making a living,to help reduce pressure on thenatural environment.
SHOOTS OF A BETTER FUTURE
WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAYOur overall goal is to ensure the governments and people of the region are
working more collaboratively – effectively controlling decisions over their
natural resources and sustainably managing key ecosystems and habitats.
Creating efficient, coordinated institutions and policies, promoting responsible trade,
identifying and protecting further areas of high conservation value, and continuing to
engage with local people are key to making this happen. But reaching all of these
objectives takes time and money, and with the generous funding from Barclays Bank
coming to an end, we’re facing a significant shortfall, which we urgently need to fill in
order to go on supporting vital projects.
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£280,000WE DESPERATELY NEED TORAISE THIS AMOUNT SO WECAN CONTINUE SUPPORTING
VITAL PROJECTS
Despite the many challenges, we’re making real progress in coastal eastAfrica. We’ve been instrumental in establishing and improving themanagement of protected areas, building key conservation partnerships,engaging with local communities, achieving increasing commitment fromthe private sector to sustainable practices, and critically, gaining the trust ofthe region’s three national governments. But there’s still a long way to go.
Please will you donate at least £1,000 so that our workcan continue? Here are just some of the many ways your generosity can make a realand significant difference.
We need to do all of this and more. Please help us by completing the enclosed
pledge form today. Thank you for your understanding and support.
£3,000 could help us assess the impact of Marine Protected Areas on fisheries in
Mozambique, enabling us to inform the government about how best to protect vulnerable
species like dugongs and whale sharks, and ensure that fishing is sustainable.
£1,000 could help us train the people living
in and around the forests of Boni-Dodori to
manage their forests in a more sustainable
way, for example through community
patrolling. This will help them maximise
the productivity of their forest home while
protecting the wildlife around them.
£1,500 could help set up a tree nursery to
supply sustainable wood for energy-efficient
charcoal kilns in Tanzania. Growing trees
in plantations specifically for charcoal
production helps reduce pressure on
natural forests. The money could pay for
seedlings, shovels, rakes and water pumps,
as well as ongoing nursery maintenance.
£2,000 could help set up a new Village
Cooperative Bank on Mafia Island, giving
local people the opportunity to change or
improve their livelihoods and so alleviate
pressure on the irreplaceable natural
resources of the marine park.
£2,500 could help us train a new Beach
Management Unit in a village in the Kilwa
district of Tanzania. We’ll provide training
for villagers on how to manage their
fisheries more sustainably, how to collect
fisheries data and how to monitor for
illegal activities, such as dynamite fishing.
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100%RECYCLED
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WWF.ORG.UK/GUARDIANS•GUARDIANS APPEAL 2012 • COASTAL EAST AFRICA
wwf-uk, registered charity number 1081247 and registered in scotland number sC039593. a company
limited by guarantee number 4016725 © 1986 panda symbol and ® “wwf” registered trademark of
wwf-world wide fund for nature (formerly world wildlife fund), wwf-uk, panda House, weyside park,
godalming, surrey gu7 1Xr, t: +44 (0)1483 426333, e: [email protected], wwf.org.uk
Details correct at time of going to print, february 2012.
Why we are here
wwf.org.uk
To stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment andto build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
30-40%36
5Mafia Island Marine Park
consists of a group of five
islands whose coral reefs,
seagrass beds and mangroves
host some of the richest life
on the east African coast
We’ve been working
in east Africa’s coastal
forests since the 1990s
We’ve helped
establish and train 36
sustainable charcoal
producer groups
Coastal East Africa in numbers
Destruction of mangroves
and overfishing have
reduced fish catches from
coral reefs by 30-40%
1990s