By Daudi Onesphory, Nature Tanzania
In Western Tanzania lies the Malagarasi-Muyovozi, the first Ramsar Site in Tanzania and the third largest Ramsar Site worldwide. It constitutes about one-third of Lake Tanganyika’s catchment area, and several rivers drain into it, including the Malagarasi, Moyowosi, Kigosi and Igombe Rivers. Also, Lakes Nyamagoma and Sagara are associated with the floodplain, along with other permanent papyrus swamps that fluctuate widely every year, depending on the amount of rainfall. About 95% of the Ramsar Site falls within protected areas, including game reserves, national parks, forest reserves and wildlife management areas, while the remaining 5% is located on district or village lands. The protected area network within MMRS includes the Moyowosi, Igombe, Ugalla and Luganzo Tongwe Game Reserves, the Ugalla River National Park, and the Kigosi and Makere Forest Reserves. MMRS area outside the protected network includes parts of lakes Nyamagoma and Sagara, Malagarasi River and Lumbe Swamps.
MMRS plays an important conservation role, supporting key ecosystem services such as water, climate regulation, crop pollination, etc. These areas serve as resting and feeding sites for resident and intra-African and Paleartic migratory birds. The reserve is also important as a resting, feeding and breeding area for large populations of mammals. This includes endangered or critically endangered species, such as shoebills, wattled cranes, grey crowned cranes and slender-snouted crocodiles. The ecosystem supports the largest population of sitatunga in East Africa.
Figure 1: Wattled Crane family in MMRS
Importantly, the MMRS area outside the protected area is reported to be the core habitat for the Shoebill, Wattled Crane and Sitatunga. Furthermore, during the dry season, the area outside the protected area network offers a refuge for wildlife following the dry conditions in some parts of the protected area. “We commend the government of Tanzania for protecting a large part of the Ramsar site through different categories, mainly forest and game reserves and more efforts are needed to protect species and habitat outside protected area network”, said Emmanuel Mgimwa, Executive Director of Nature Tanzania.
Figure 2: Grey Crowned Cranes in MMRS
The main socio-economic activities of the communities inside the MMRS include livestock keeping, agriculture, fishing and beekeeping, which are significant for food sources, income and economic commodities. The MMRS provides many ecosystem services to local people and the public. MMRS provides a water source for domestic use, agriculture, livestock keeping and hydropower production.
Despite the above conservation and socio-economic value, MMRS faces critical conservation challenges, including significant changes in land use and cover, wetland degradation from agricultural encroachment and heavy deforestation for tobacco curing. The Integrated assessment of land use and cover changes in the Malagarasi River Catchment in Tanzania revealed a significant change in land use and cover between 1984 and 2001, with woodland and wetland vegetation covers declining by 0.09% and 2.51% per year, respectively. Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC), especially from Human Elephant Conflict (HEC), is a major challenge affecting local communities. Encroachment due to lack of clear boundary demarcation is also a threat requiring urgent action.
Illegal Bird Trade suggests the potential illegal exploitation of key species in this landscape, especially Shoebill, Wattled Cranes and other endangered species. For example, in March 2025, news surfaced online about birds caught in Zambia, including Shoebill Storks, which are listed as Endangered and reliably found in the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site in Western Tanzania. Furthermore, illegal bird trapping, mainly for local food consumption, is also a major threat, with target species such as ducks caught using fishing nets. In addressing these challenges, it is very important to work closely with communities and relevant government authorities in the area, especially the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) and Regional and Local Government Authorities and other relevant partners working in the landscape.
In light of the above challenges, Nature Tanzania, with financial support from the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) and Partner für Klima und Nature (PKN), initiated a project to “Promote Wetlands and Bird Conservation in Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site”. The project started in March 2024 and aims to support the Government of Tanzania’s initiative to conserve and protect the MMRS using three target bird species, i.e., Shoebill, Grey Crowned Crane, and Wattled Crane. The project will largely focus on the MMRS area outside the protected area network and collaborate with TAWA for potential sites within game reserves.
To enable community-based conservation, 11 community conservation champions from 11 villages around the MMRS have been identified and are supported to become conservation champions in their villages. A preliminary training for the champions was organised and conducted at the ISAWIMA Wildlife Management Area (WMA) conference room in the Tabora region, reaching 23 people, including the 11 community conservation champions. The training equipped local champions with skills in species and habitat monitoring and, most importantly, data collection using the ArcGIS Survey123 data collection tool, which will be rolled out in April 2025, focusing on the target species and their habitat. Champions were also informed on the need to respect established laws and regulations, especially related to the protected areas in the area.
Figure 3: Daudi Onesphory (middle) and two champions during species and habitat monitoring in MMRS.
Between March and December 2024, the on-ground team conducted reconnaissance surveys to identify the remaining potential habitats for the target bird species and, therefore, target villages for long-term project intervention. A total of 104 potential sites for the target bird species were shortlisted in the Kigoma and Tabora regions based on information from TAWA officials, literature review from published papers, technical reports, field visits and observations by local community champions and fishermen. After critically reviewing them, only 96 sites were shortlisted for project focus, while the remaining sites were dropped because they were no longer suitable habitats because of encroachment. Of the 96 shortlisted sites, 35 are within the village lands in the Kigoma and Tabora regions and, therefore, will be the focus of the project.
Figure 4: Site surveys in collaboration with local fishermen in MMRS.
Between March 2024 and February 2025, we mainly focused on understanding this huge and important landscape and identifying potential sites outside protected areas and villages to focus on. A field project office has been opened at Nguruka division in Uvinza District, Kigoma region. As a Ramsar site, the guiding principle is the wise use of natural resources, but communities need to be supported to ensure their use doesn’t affect the wetland and species found within.
In February 2025, we collaborated with the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) Western Zone and local communities to conduct a wetland inventory within the MMRS. The inventory was conducted at Lake Nyamagoma and the surrounding Swamp system (Uvinza district, Kigoma region), focussing on target bird species. Lake Sagara and the surrounding swamp system, including the Lumbe Swamp (Kaliua district, a small part of the lake is in Uvinza district, Kigoma region), part of Moyowosi game reserve and North Makere open area (Kasulu district) and Igombe Game Reserve and Luganzo-Tongwe Game Reserve were also surveyed. The inventory utilised foot counts, boat counts, and canoe surveys to record bird populations and assess threats systematically. In addition to data collection, the team conducted awareness-raising activities among local communities, emphasising the importance of bird conservation using posters. The survey. During the survey, 16 Shoebills, 13 Grey Crowned Cranes, and two Wattled Cranes were recorded, alongside a significant presence of other waterbird species, reinforcing the wetland’s biodiversity value. Further monitoring in the wetland in March 2025 has identified a Wattled Crane family with a juvenile along the Malagarasi River, indicating the importance of the site in species breeding.
Figure 5: Wetland inventory team in MMRS
We also conduct awareness-raising activities at the village level, targeting fishermen, farmers and livestock keepers in sites where the three target species have been located. We also discuss and mobilise fishermen from Kasisi, Chagu, Shella Mtakuja, Maboha, and Kagerankanda villages on wetland and species conservation, especially reporting ongoing threats and illegal activities in the wetland.
Figure 6: Awareness raising activities to local communities in MMRS.
From the site surveys and the ongoing monitoring, we have identified/been informed of the following critical conservation challenges: illegal hunting (two cases), illegal trade, and poisoning (three cases). Another observed threat was the burning of the wetlands, which probably affected the breeding habitats of different species. So far, we have not identified the breeding sites for the targeted species, although we have identified the breeding sites for other bird species.
From 23rd – 31st July 2025, Zimbabwe will host the 15th Conference of Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which provides a good platform for policy makers to articulate and adopt resolutions to protect delicate ecosystems globally. These crucial discussions on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, including agreement on a work programme for the next three years, require cooperation and coordination across national boundaries. As we celebrate the critical role played by wetlands, let us renew our efforts to protect these ecosystems for the present and future generations.
“In the coming years of our project, we will focus on collaborating with communities and relevant government authorities in addressing the identified conservation challenges. For example, local communities strongly suggested beekeeping (bee fence) to mitigate human-elephant conflict (HEC). Sustainable fisheries, restoration and management of the wetland and ecotourism are recommended for community livelihood development. Other noted opportunities for climate change resilience were promoting Climate-Smart Agriculture and sustainable management of village forest reserves and wetland restoration and protection, alternative charcoal production as a possible economic means. Above all, integrating local knowledge in the process is critical,” added Mr. Emmanuel Mgimwa.
Nature Tanzania acknowledges the ongoing support and collaboration from the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA), Kigoma and Tabora regional governments and district councils of Kaliua, Kasulu and Uvinza. Local communities and the 11 village governments are acknowledged for their welcome hands and collaboration through their Village Natural Resources Committee (VNRC), which we will continue to engage in the coming years. The identified community conservation champions are appreciated for their unwavering support and volunteering in contributing to species and habitat monitoring. We also appreciate ISAWIMA Wildlife Management Area (WMA) for their support and collaboration. Furthermore, NABU and Partner für Klima und Nature are acknowledged for their financial support.
Mr. Daudi Onesphory is a Bird Conservation Officer of Nature Tanzania (BirdLife Partner) responsible for implementing the “Promote Wetlands and Bird Conservation in Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site” project. Email: daudi.onesphory@naturetanzania.or.tz
