2.Background. The area that is today known as Wami Mbiki Society (WMS) Wildlife Management Area (WMA) was first identified in 1995, in a joint effort between local elders, “wazee” and resident hunters. Greatly troubled by the many unsustainable uses threatening the future of the area, and thus the livelihoods of the surrounding communities, they started a process that formed a membership association of 24 villages. WMS became registered as a Community Based Organisation (CBO) in July, 2002, and under the Wildlife Conservation (WMA) Regulations, of 2002, WMS was amongst the first 16 “Pilot WMAs”. In December, WMS attained “Authorised Association” status. All villages have Land Use Plans, ceding 2 500 km2 to the “core wilderness area”, retaining 500 km2 as a livelihood zone and 1000 km2 as buffer zone, notably forest reserve and grazing land. WMS Strategy, envisages the WMA as a revenue centre, a “savings bank” to generate funds from joint venture partnerships (hunting, Photographic tourism and forest produce) for local community development projects (i.e. schools, boreholes, clinics, mills, etc) and creation of local employment and trade. In this regard, members have agreed to forgot any subsistence use of trees and wildlife in the core area. They have pledged to protect the area against all intrusions and poaching. In this regard, for the past 12 years, Village Natural Resource Committees (VNRCs), 72 Village Game Scouts (VGS) and an Anti-poaching Unit have protected the resources in the core area, and monitored sustainable use in the buffer zone, giving rise to a 5 fold increase in wildlife. The communities see the value of wildlife as more than just food, and have collectively agreed to lease its use out as an economic good, adding value through photographic and hunting tourism and commercial use of forest products. The Size and Location of WM-WMA The WM-WMA is found in two regions; Morogoro and Coastal regions and found in three districts which are morogoro, Mvomero and Bagamoyo. Wami Mbiki is located 139km west of dar es salaam and 50km East of Morogoro town.The 2500 sq kms of Wami Mbiki is core area and the 1500 sq kms is buffer zone that making the totality of the area being 4000 sq kms, with the estimation of 65,000 populations with growth rate of 2.2 per annum. Members of the WMS are all 24 surrounding villages located in Morogoro, Mvomero and Bagamoyo Districts, respective Districts in Morogoro and Coast region and the Ministry of Natural resources and tourism. Physical Features, Geology and Soils The area is a watershed that has been sculpted by the Wami River which bisects the area into North and South segments, joined by the Lukigula River from the north, and the Ngerengere River that makes up the southern boundary interspersed with rocky hillsides of thin soil covers and valleys with deep clay or alluvial soils. The Vegetation characteristics of WM-WMA The Wami Mbiki core area contains 2 forest reserves, notably: Gwami FR located to the north of the Wami and Lukigula River confluence and Pagale FR, located in the area between the north of the Wami River and the Lukigula River. The core wilderness area is classified as Miombo (or Brachystegia/Julbernardia) woodland. This is the dominant type of woodland throughout this Central Africa region, and WMS is at the northern/eastern limits, made up of Woodlands (57%), Wooded Grassland (29%), Grassland (11%) and Gallery forest (3%) with mostly mixed species. The climate of WM-WMA The climate of the area is warm tropical, with first rains in October to December and long rains in March to May, averaging 700-900 mm. The average temperature is 26-28oC The Wildlife at WMS-WMA Wami Mbiki is a game corridor between Selous, Mikumi, Saadani, Pangani and Kilindi, and has resident populations of lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, kudu, hippos, Lichtenstein Hartebeest, crocodile, zebra, water buck, bush buck, warthog, impala, Sunni, duiker, eland, sable, hyena, baboons and an assortment of monkeys. Some rare animals seen are African wild dog and cheetah. And at night civet, jennet, bush baby and wild cat can be seen. OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE conservation and sustainable utilization of natural resources in the WMA for poverty reduction of its member villages Our Vision Wami Mbiki WMA becomes the best WMA in Tanzania, and in a sustainable, environmentally friendly manner, provides sufficient resource rent for the development needs of all its village members, for present and future generations Our Mission To sustainable manage the WMA, free of conflict, to maximize an equitable benefit sharing. This includes social services, education and economic benefits to its village members, derived from revenues from joint venture investments, business developments and income generating activities.
