Tanzania National Parks Authority

The Tanzania National Parks Authority commonly known as TANAPA is responsible for the management of Tanzania's national parks. TANAPA is a parastatal corporation and all its income is reinvested into the organization. It is governed by a number of instruments including the National Parks Act, Chapter 282 of the 2002 and the Wildlife Conservation Act No. 5 of 2009.^[1] TANAPA manages the nation's 23 National parks which covers approximately 15% of the land area and has the mandate to conserve and manage the wildlife in Tanzania, and to enforce the related laws and regulations in this industry. It manages the biodiversity of the country, protecting and conserving the flora and fauna. The organization does not have a mandate over the game reserves such as the Selous Game Reserve which is managed by the Tanzanian Wildlife Division and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area managed by the Ngorongoro Conservation Authority.^[2]

The Arusha Manifesto gave the initial foundation for the expansion of the Tanzanian National Park authority and an increase in protected areas in the country, as of December 2015 parks, reserves and conservation areas cover about 14% percent of the land.^[2] Currently TANAPA is governed by the National Parks Ordinance Chapter 282 of the 2002 and manages 22 national parks.^[3]

According to some reliable information (Oakland Institute [CA], Avaaz.org), TANAPA has recently (Jan 2024) been trying to evict by force Maassai people (shooting, harassment, arrests, and seizing cattle of Maassai villagers). Should this info be confirmed, we urge the Tanzanian Government to stand against any form of harassment to the Maassai people and protect them according to the law of the country.