Two members of the Kihembe management team Costa Coucoulis and Bruce Downie met with Regine Qualmann, the Country Director of German Cooperation [GIZ] in Dar es Salaam recently. The German development organizations have a long history in conservation in Tanzania including in the Saadani area where they were instrumental in the establishment of the national park. The work of Rolf Baldus was particularly important during the early stages of park establishment. Building partnerships among people and organizations with a history and a commitment to the Saadani area will be crucial to the success of Kihembe. Dr. Qualmann was enthusiastic about the value of Kihembe in addressing some of the key conservation challenges in the area, particularly the deforestation resulting from the ever increasing charcoal production, the incompatibility of proposed land uses adjacent to the park and the recent surge in elephant poaching in Tanzania generally. She offered to assist in making more connections within the German development program in Tanzania especially in the expanding natural resource management program as well as in the initiatives focused on climate change and a private sector renewable energy program. Further meetings will be arranged to present the Kihembe concept and its role in addressing the challenges of conservation in the area.
