Arusha conference on strengthening information sharing infrastructure and governance frameworks to address human-nature conflicts: Arusha, Tanzania 17-18 June 2019.

The Conference,which was convened by LATF in collaboration with partnersfrom 17^th to 18^th June 2019 at the Four Points Hotel by Sheraton, Arusha, Tanzania, brought together over 120 participants drawn from Governments, technocrats, academic experts from national and international institutions. Representatives of Community Wildlife Managers (Wildlife Management Areas) from Tanzania also participated. It was aimed at strengthening information sharing infrastructure and governance frameworks to address human-nature conflicts in Africa.

The organizing partners included United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Remote Sensing Technology Center -RESTEC-Japan, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) –Japan, European Union (EU), New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The organizing and sponsoring partners comprised LATF, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of the United Republic of Tanzania, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Remote Sensing Technology Center (RESTEC) – Japan, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) –Japan, European Union (EU), New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Other partners that participated and made technical contributions during the conference included  Southern African Development Community (SADC), INTERPOL – Eastern Africa, Conservation International (CI), Serengeti-Mara Trans-frontier Conservation Area , Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), EcoExist Trust, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Connekt Project, Peace Parks Foundation, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, United Republic of Tanzania and Sokoine University of Agriculture of the United Republic of Tanzania.

The African countries that were represented at the conference included Botswana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Some of the key recommendations of the conference included the following:

1.  Develop spatial data infrastructure and build an information Centre that will pool data and enhance information exchange among governments and agencies. LATF was identified as the most suitable organization to host this infrastructure.  
2. Support research and development of analytical tools to address the dynamics of human wildlife conflicts, agro- pastoral conflicts and wildlife crime.
3. Enhance capacity of enforcement agencies including adequate funding, staffing, training, equipment and use of technological tools;
4. Integrate communities in resource protection – community based natural resource management including benefit sharing schemes and sustainable livelihood for communities affected by wildlife to offset the cost of living with wildlife.
5. Establish National Enforcement Task Forces to curb illegal wildlife trade for countries that have not done so.

Strengthen prosecution and criminal justice responses to wildlife and forest crime.