TACARE

TACARE
Name	TACARE
Formation	1994
Founder	Jane Goodall Institute
Location	Kigoma Region, Tanzania
Focus	Community development, Conservation biology, Poverty reduction
Method	Participatory rural appraisal, Microcredit, Reforestation

TACARE. The Lake Tanganyika Catchment Reforestation and Education project, known as TACARE, is a pioneering community-based conservation and development program initiated by the Jane Goodall Institute. Launched in 1994, it was designed to address the intertwined crises of environmental degradation and extreme poverty in villages surrounding Gombe Stream National Park. The program's innovative, holistic approach has become a globally recognized model for integrating sustainable development with the protection of biodiversity and endangered species like the chimpanzee.

Overview

TACARE operates primarily in the Kigoma Region of western Tanzania, a region characterized by high population growth, depleted natural resources, and significant pressure on remaining forest habitats. The program's foundational philosophy rejects the traditional fortress conservation model, instead promoting the idea that the long-term survival of wildlife and ecosystems is inextricably linked to improving the socioeconomic well-being of local communities. It employs a landscape approach to management, working across a mosaic of protected areas, agricultural land, and village land forest reserves. This strategy has been influential in shaping contemporary integrated conservation and development project methodologies worldwide.

History and Development

The genesis of TACARE followed decades of research by Jane Goodall at Gombe Stream National Park, which revealed the park was becoming an isolated forest fragment due to rampant deforestation and soil erosion in the surrounding catchment. Confronted with this crisis, the Jane Goodall Institute sought a solution that would benefit both chimpanzees and people. The program began in 1994 with pilot activities in 12 villages north of Gombe. Its initial focus on agroforestry and nursery establishment quickly expanded based on participatory rural appraisal findings, which identified reproductive health, water sanitation, and microfinance as critical community priorities. This responsive, bottom-up planning became a hallmark of its evolution.

Program Components and Activities

The program integrates multiple, synergistic components. A core activity is promoting sustainable agriculture through techniques like composting, conservation tillage, and the distribution of improved seed varieties. It supports community forestry and large-scale reforestation efforts, often using native species. The microcredit program, managed through village savings and loan associations, provides capital for small businesses and farming. Other key elements include initiatives in primary health care, HIV/AIDS education, scholarship programs for girls, and the establishment of participatory land use planning processes that lead to the formal gazettement of village land forest reserves.

Impact and Outcomes

Measurable outcomes include the restoration of thousands of hectares of degraded land through agroforestry and the creation of community-managed forest reserves, establishing critical wildlife corridors around Gombe Stream National Park. Socioeconomic impacts are significant, with improved food security, increased household incomes from alternative livelihoods, and higher school enrollment rates, particularly for girls. The program has contributed to a stabilized human population growth rate in its operating areas through its family planning services. Its success informed the development of the broader Jane Goodall Institute's community-centered conservation approach, applied in other countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of the Congo.

Partnerships and Funding

Implementation relies on a robust network of partnerships. The Jane Goodall Institute works closely with Tanzania Forest Services, the Tanzania National Parks Authority, and local district councils. Key international partners and funders have included the United States Agency for International Development, the European Union, the World Bank, and private foundations like the McKnight Foundation. Collaboration with research institutions such as the University of Minnesota and the University of Dar es Salaam has been vital for monitoring and evaluation, ensuring the program's strategies are evidence-based and adaptive.

Challenges and Criticisms

The program operates in a challenging context marked by political instability in the wider Great Lakes region, limited government infrastructure, and the ongoing threats of climate change and illegal logging. Some early critiques of integrated conservation and development projects noted the difficulty in directly attributing conservation gains to development activities, a challenge TACARE has addressed through rigorous longitudinal study. Ensuring the complete devolution of resource management authority to communities and maintaining project momentum after the conclusion of external funding cycles remain persistent, though actively managed, challenges for long-term sustainability.

Category:Conservation projects Category:Community development Category:Environmental organizations based in Tanzania