Benefit Sharing in Protected Area Management : The Case of Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

Conservation is often viewed as a
tradeoff between the development of short-term benefits and
protection for long-term benefits. However, with the
appropriate mechanisms, it is possible to achieve both aims.
The justification to protect parks in developing countries
can be based on an economic rationale rather than a
primarily social or environmental one. Enhancing the revenue
earning potential of protected areas from tourism, and
directly returning those benefits to the appropriate set of
stakeholders can result in a balanced approach to long-term
environmental conservation and short-term economic
development. Currently, approximately 14 percent of
Tanzanian territory is designated as protected areas. Though
national parks, game preserves, and other protected areas
have generated revenue for the government, not much of this
revenue has been retained to enhance the conservation
efforts in these areas or to compensate the local
communities. Funding for the Tarangire National Park (TNP)
as it is for the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA),
the national park authority, is limited and gate revenues
are supplemented by external donors, both through TANAPA and
directly to TNP. Within TNP, actual revenues have
consistently been greater than expenditures since the 1991
financial year. TNP operates at a profit which has increased
variably by approximately 23 percent to 140 percent per
year. Surplus revenues are contributed to TANAPA.