Programme

The Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem is one of the largest and most important migratory ecosystems on the planet for terrestrial mammals and one of the last remaining and relatively intact ecosystems on the African continent. Spanning 40,000 square kilometers and encompassing the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, the region is characterized by mass migrations of ungulates (elephant, wildebeest, zebra, Thomson’s gazelle).

Because Kenya and Tanzania have different economic, political as well as land tenure systems, a much-needed shared management approach at ecosystem scale is hard to accomplish. Cross-boundary research efforts are needed to yield an integrated view on the future of this ecosystem.

The CoCost (Corridors, Coexistence, Synergies, Transitions and Training) program offers insight to advance a sustainable future for wildlife and people in the Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem, based on collaboration and ecosystems thinking. By integrating five inter-connected PhD projects and implementing conservation training in both countries, CoCost will identify weaknesses in the current conservation interventions and create practical, comprehensive, multi-disciplinary solutions to advance conservation efforts.
The program also strengthens local conservation leadership aiming towards developing the next generation of Tanzanian and Kenyan leaders, with a particular focus female leadership.