Tanzania: Sustainable Coastal Communities and Ecosystems

Increased and equitable benefits from sustainable, natural resource-based micro-enterprises

Many rural communities depend upon the goods and services provided by the coastal ecosystem. While these communities need to protect and improve environmental quality, they also need to improve their own quality of life in areas that include income, food security and nutrition, and equity. To address these issues, SUCCESS Tanzania promotes low-impact, high-benefit micro-enterprise grown in areas such as eco-tourism, aquaculture, agriculture, and beekeeping.

At the end of the Project, we expect:

At least 500 individuals involved in sustainable natural resource-based enterprises in mariculture (e.g. seaweed farming, milk-fish farming and pearl-oyster culture), small-scale tourism, paprika farming, and beekeeping. The enterprises are operating successfully, and generating employment and economic benefits for men and women in poor rural households.

  • Of the sustainable natural resource-based enterprises, at least 50% benefit women and 25% specifically target HIV/AIDS vulnerable households in the Saadani National Park landscape-seascape area.
  • Micro-credit schemes to support natural resource-based enterprises by rural poor households are established and operate with low default levels.
  • Women and marginalized groups are empowered through diversified livelihoods from natural resource based enterprises.
  • Spatial and regulatory tools are being applied for appropriate siting and operation of fish ponds and seaweed farms, with minimization of the ecological footprint of operations.
  • Extension capabilities are strengthened in the three targeted districts in the areas of mariculture, tourism and beekeeping with special attention to the capacity at all levels (government, NGOs, farmers) to understand the dynamics and techniques that enable low-impact, high-benefit enterprises to be developed and sustained.