Programme

The Eastern Arc Mountains are a chain of ancient, isolated ranges forming a crescent-shaped arc that stretches from the Taita Hills in Kenya through the Usambara, Uluguru, and Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania. They are recognized as one of the world’s most significant biodiversity hotspots, harbouring an extraordinary number of endemic plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth. These mountains play a crucial role in regulating regional climate and serve as a vital water catchment, supplying millions of people, including those in major cities such as Dar es Salaam.

The Nguru Mountains are among the most biologically important yet scientifically understudied landscapes within Tanzania’s Eastern Arc Mountains biodiversity hotspot. Covering approximately 1,703 km²—with 340 km² (20%) under formal protection—they contain one of the largest relatively intact forest blocks remaining in the Eastern Arc. Despite their exceptional ecological significance, the Ngurus have historically received less research attention than other mountain blocks due to their remoteness. Recent biological surveys, however, have revealed extraordinary levels of species richness and endemism, underscoring the global conservation value of this landscape.

The Nguru landscape has lost approximately 9,130 hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2024. Immediate threats include:

• Deforestation and habitat degradation driven by slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging, and fuelwood collection.

• Encroachment into protected areas, particularly for the cultivation of cardamom, yams, and maize, often through under-canopy farming or complete forest clearance.

• Poaching and unsustainable hunting, leading to declining wildlife populations.

• Infrastructure and settlement expansion, including road construction and village growth along the forest periphery.

The Nguru Landscape Forest programme is designed to protect remaining forests, restore degraded areas, and improve livelihoods for communities living in and around the forest.

This programme, led by PAMS Foundation supports:

• Strengthened protection of the Mkingu and Kanga Forests.
• Expansion of restoration efforts into additional priority areas.
• Establishment of buffer zones between forest and agricultural lands through agroforestry initiatives.
• The start of restoration within the designated corridor area to establish a viable, interconnected ecological link between the Mkingu and Kanga Forest.
• Deepened community engagement, broadened farmer participation, diversified sustainable livelihood opportunities, and enhanced long-term co-management capacity.
• Promote advanced scientific research to strengthen understanding of restoration ecology and to highlight the ecological significance of the Nguru landscape.