Makame Savannah
Protecting forests for pastoralists, wildlife and climate
Makame Savannah
Protecting forests for pastoralists, wildlife and climate


Verified Emissions Reductions to Date: 150,000 (through 2020)

Verified By:

Makame Savannah Its People and Environment
- Community
- Threats to the Enviroment
- Land Rights
- Benefits
The Masai people have been herding cattle throughout the Rift Valley for 2000 years. In the Makame project area they continue to live this traditional lifestyle in the wildlife rich dryland forests. They depend intimately on their cattle herds for survival in an unpredictable environment - by using seasonal grazing areas in the savannah throughout the year they can keep their herds, and themselves, healthy.
The location of Makame WMA on the southern border of the Tarangire/Manyara ecosystem makes it essential habitat for both endangered and migratory wildlife. The population within the region is rapidly expanding with large numbers of immigrant farmers seeking new land to grow crops and rear livestock. Forests and woodlands are seen as unused and converted to agricultural land. This change in land use has led to a deforestation rate in the area that is 9 times the national average. Land use change threatens the regions extensive biodiversity and has the potential to lead to violent conflict between the traditional users of the land and those seeking to use the natural resources within Makame WMA illegally.
The creation of the Makame Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and its resource plan, has given the Masai communities user-rights over their land and the ability to reserve areas for seasonal grazing. This structure empowers the communities to protect critical grazing areas from illegal immigrant farmers, areas which form the basis of the carbon project.
The revenues earned from the protection of the savannah woodlands will be spent on a combination of land protection, improvement of Masai livelihoods and support for village schools.

Key Facts
The project involves 5 village communities, with approximately 15,000 people
Project area:
104,065 ha (364,322 ha WMA)
Finance Disbursed to Date:
USD 334,500
Trees prevented from being cut per year:
268,000
- Biodiversity
- Endangered Wildlife
- Project Activities
- 41 species of large mammals - including African Elephant, Wild Dog, Ground Pangolin, Giraffe, Lion and Leopard
- 252 birds species - including 2 endemic; Yellow Collared Lovebird, Ashy Starling
- 48 tree species - including Umbrella Thorn Acacia (Acacia tortilis) and East African Coral Tree (Erythrina burtii)
- African Elephant
- African Wild Dog
- Lion
- Leopard
- Ground Hornbill
- Ground Pangolin
- Giraffe
- Lappet-faced Vulture
- White-backed Vulture
- Ruppells Griffon Vulture
- environmental education (Carbon Champions)
- VGS employment for anti-poaching patrols of WMA
- governance and management trainings
- natural resource management infrastructure
- women empowerment initiatives
- access to natural resources (grazing, natural medicine)
- wildlife monitoring using camera traps, ground counts and SMART technology
Related Blog Posts
August 16, 2021
August 16, 2021
Following 10 years of experimenting and innovating, Carbon Tanzania’s approach to community conservation has reached 16 forest communities in Tanzania, protecting over 650,000 ha of forest […]
Do you like it?
August 27, 2016
August 27, 2016
Categories
On a cold, grey morning in the southern Masai Steppe, the Masai elder arrived wrapped in his shuka (a traditional tartan patterned robe), a thick winter […]
Do you like it?
January 29, 2018
January 29, 2018
In 2018 Carbon Tanzania rolled out its “Carbon Champions” programme, an experimental scheme designed to communicate the complex nature of carbon forest projects to the communities […]
Do you like it?