Tanzania National Parks
Description
Tanzania National Parks, known as TANAPA, is the parastatal authority responsible for managing and conserving Tanzania’s national parks. It protects biodiversity and promotes sustainable tourism across the parks it oversees. It has operated since 1960, and is governed today by the National Parks Act and the Wildlife Conservation Act of 2009.
TANAPA manages the country’s national parks, covering about 15 percent of Tanzania’s land area, including well known parks such as Serengeti, Kilimanjaro and Tarangire. It does not oversee game reserves or the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which are managed separately. Its work includes protecting wildlife and habitats, training rangers, maintaining roads, gates and airstrips, and fighting forest fires within the parks.
The authority earns most of its revenue from tourism and works with the Tanzania Tourist Board to market the parks locally and internationally. It also promotes domestic tourism. TANAPA is led by a Conservation Commissioner, supported by deputy and zonal commissioners overseeing operations across the country.
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