Toward Blue Success: Advancing the development of a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

As COP16 draws to a close in the beautiful city of Cali, Colombia, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is deeply grateful for the opportunity to hold a bilateral meeting with the delegation from the United Republic of Tanzania, led by Hon. Dr. Ashatu K. Kijaji, Minister of State (Union and Environment) at the Vice President’s Office. We were also pleased to be joined by our long-time partner WWF , the Commissioner of the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority, and representatives from the Tanzania Forestry Research Institute, among others. TNC was well represented by marine and freshwater from global, regional, and Tanzania.

We extended our congratulations to the Minister for assuming the co-chair position of the Nairobi Convention and for submitting NBSAP targets under the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). We also congratulate the Government of Tanzania for surpassing the global target by conserving 33.5% of its terrestrial area.

In the Northern Tanzania Rangelands Initiative, TNC manages over 800,000 hectares across 40 villages and 2 WMAs. In Lake Tanganyika, TNC collaborates on sustainable fisheries and management, with over 20 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) approved. The Tuungane Program focuses on enhancing natural resource management and protecting habitats for wildlife, including chimpanzees, and has planted over 10.6 million trees with an 86% survival rate. In Tanga Water Fund, TNC has trained over 550 farmers in sustainable agriculture to reduce erosion surrounding the Amani Forest Nature Reserve and to address downstream sedimentation. In the Marine Program, TNC focuses on marine spatial planning, sustainable fisheries, restorative aquaculture, large-scale fisheries, and coastal fisheries across Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar in support of the national blue economy agenda.

TNC has partnered with the Government of Tanzania for 12 years, and we were delighted to discuss how we can continue to support the government in finalizing their NBSAP, MSP and FSP processes, and ratifying and implementing the BBNJ Treaty.

We were very pleased to hear from the Minister about how the Government of Tanzania has placed strong emphasis on and is committed to continuing its collaboration with TNC on biodiversity conservation. Tanzania is taking significant measures to ratify the BBNJ treaty, which will ultimately support access to marine genetic resources and related information, help achieve the 30x30 biodiversity target, and facilitate capacity building and technology transfer. We were also pleased that the government has welcomed TNC's continued collaboration on the MSP process under the IKI Germany Phase II. With the official launch scheduled for early next year, the project will prioritize stakeholder engagement strategies and the development of a zoning plan, among other objectives. Minister highlighted that strong emphasis should be placed on marine and freshwater biomes to meet conservation targets. On Freshwater Challenge, TZ has committed to setting freshwater ecosystem protection and restoration targets, and our long-standing work in the Lake Tanganyika, supporting transboundary freshwater management, fisheries and aquaculture, in harmony with ecosystem protection and through community engagement, in collaboration with the Lake Tanganyika Authority and its four member states.

Most importantly, the Minister emphasized the need to support communities in improving their economic livelihoods while ensuring biodiversity conservation.