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Establishment
of East Usambara Biosphere Reserve has been one of the objectives
of East Usambara Conservation Area Management Programme (EUCAMP).
East Usambara
mountain range was accepted in November 2000 to UNESCO’s Man and
Biosphere (MAB) program as a member of the Biosphere Reserve
network. There are over
400 Biosphere Reserves in the network distributed all over the
world, and covering over 90 per cent of the world’s biodiversity.
Biosphere
Reserves are sites of excellence, extraordinary for their nature,
but also combining interests of
scientists, administration and local people into
comprehensive development strategies for the areas. Local point of
view, participation and acceptance are always the backbone of
operations. Biosphere reserves are a neutral platform to gain both
positive publicity and
valuable co-operation partners from all aver the world.
The acceptance
of East Usambara to the biosphere reserve network consolidated the
values of the area as a unique biodiversity hotspot.
Simultaneously, the biosphere reserve nomination acknowledged
the long history and achievements in biological research but also
those in developmental
activities in the area. There
are about 100 000 inhabitants in East Usambara villages in the
biosphere reserve, and the
recent actions of EUCAMP with, e.g., village forest management and
joint forest management and preparation of the MAB-concept for the
area, have prepared the conversion from present project oriented
activities to comprehensive, collaborative actions lead by the
locals. Previously, conservation of
East Usambara area had been carried out through forest
reserves, where the villagers had no or very little to say about.
Biosphere
reserves are also pilot sites in environmental education, training
and nature based tourism and other sustainable development means of
living. There are clear indications and potential of East Usambara
area to be one of the hotspots of the world to create new
possibilities for sustainable development in the tropics.
MAB-ideology
is very well suited to combine the various development efforts as
poverty reduction strategy and community forest development process
to concrete and measurable projects for the local people’s
benefit. Because nature conservation is one of the cornerstones of
the MAB it will always be taken into account.
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