115 / 148
101
The extent of carbon emissions is not well
documented and is not a significant factor
in environmental sustainability in Tanzania
at present. The estimated figures are still
low, although increasing due to extensive
exploration and developments of gas and oil,
and growing use of fossil fuels.
Reverse biodiversity loss by 2010
Tanzania has the second highest proportion of
national protected areas among the Basin states,
after Zambia, with 28 per cent of the country
set aside for national parks, conservation areas,
game reserves, and controlled and protected
areas (Figure 4.39).
Tanzania has been working hard to meet world
limits of 20 per cent protected coastal areas
by 2012. Famous marine parks in Tanzania
include Mafia Island Marine Park and Mnazi Bay
Conservation Area.
Tanzania is a large country with vast biological
diversity and high numbers of threatened species,
well documented. According to IUCN (2008),
Tanzania has 10 008 known species of higher
plants including endemic and non-endemic, out
of which 235 (2.9 per cent) are threatened. Of the
316 known mammal species 42 are threatened
(excluding marine mammals). There are 229
known breeding bird species out of which 33
are threatened (excluding those that migrate to
the country in the northern winter); 335 known
reptile species out of which 5 are threatened;
and 116 amphibian species and 331 known fish
species out of which 17 are threatened.
The Tanzanian government has made significant
progress in reducing the number of threatened
species by 10 per cent between 2003 and 2008,
as shown in Figure 4.40.
The greatest species concentrations of fish and
molluscs are within the three African Great
Lakes and most are endemic to single lakes.
Lake Tanganyika is the richest in biodiversity
of molluscs with between 60 and 80 species
recorded, depending on the study (IUCN
2011). The main centres of threatened fish
species are within Lake Victoria and Lake
Nyasa (Malawi/Niassa), due to the combined
impacts of invasive species, eutrophication
and overfishing. Beyond the Great Lakes, the
Rufiji/Ruaha, Pangani, and Malagarasi River
basins also have high species richness. The
main recorded threats are loss of habitat due to
agricultural encroachment into wetland areas
and the eutrophication and sedimentation of
the riverine habitat (IUCN 2011).
Change in proportion of land area
covered by forests in Tanzania
50
40
30
20
10
0
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
Percentage
Source: FAO 2010
Figure 4.38
Figure 4.39
Figure 4.40
Source: SADC and SARDC 2008
Protected areas share of total land area
in Namibia
0
28%
320
330
340
350
360
370
380
390
400
Number of species
2000
2003
2008
Number of threatened species
in Tanzania
Source: IUCN 2008