WWF awards Tanzania for conservation of wildlife resources

The WWF International President Yolanda Kakabadse on Saturday awarded Tanzania's 19 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) the "WWF Leaders for a Living Planet" award in recognition to their wildlife conservation efforts.

The 19 WMAs were recognized for outstanding achievements in conservation of wildlife resources, the preservation of habitats essential for survival of threatened species and for their significant contribution to sustainable wildlife conservation on village lands in Tanzania.

WMAs are community-owned resource management areas, typically located near high-value protected areas. They provide a way for communities to gain economically from managing wildlife and other natural resources in a sustainable manner.

The 19 WMAs, serving 146 villages in 28,389-square-kilometre area with a total population of 410,000 people, are home to some iconic species in Tanzania.