DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania has signed two agreements with the German Development Agency (GIZ) to beef up conservation in wildlife and forest reserves in Kigoma and Katavi regions that are facing increasing encroachment by human activities, an official said on Sunday.
Geoffrey Mwashitete, Tanganyika district administrative secretary in Katavi region, said the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), an international conservation organization headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, will oversee the conservation of the two reserves.
Mwashitete identified the reserves as Mahale Mountains National Park that lies on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Kigoma region in western Tanzania and Tongwe Forest in Katavi region.
He said a memorandum of understanding for the agreements was signed last week as part of a program on sustainable management of natural resources.
The program is aimed at supporting national and local government agencies and the private sector in efforts to adopt and implement improved mechanisms for sustainable natural resource management benefiting communities, Mwashitete said.
Mahale Mountains National Park is home to the largest known chimpanzee species, and is believed to be the only place where chimpanzees and lions coexist.
The Tongwe forest reserve and adjoining community forests are effectively protected and contributing to economic development and sustainable livelihoods in adjacent communities, Mwashitete said.
