Saadani National Park is a protected area in Tanzania that covers 1,062 km (410 sq mi). It was officially established in 2005 and is managed by the Tanzania National Parks Authority. The park is located in the southeastern part of Pangani District in Tanga Region and the northeastern part of Chalinze District in Pwani Region.

History

Established in 2005, the area includes a protected ecosystem with the former Saadani Game Reserve, the former Mkwaja Ranch, the Wami River, and the Zaraninge Forest. In the late 1960s, Saadani Village, including its sub-village Uvinje, asked the Tanzania Wildlife Division (WD) to help stop the uncontrolled hunting of wildlife in the region. From this partnership, Saadani Village and the Wildlife Division created the Saadani Game Reserve (SGR), agreeing to respect the land rights of coastal sub-villages like Uvinje and Porokanya while also protecting wildlife.

Conservation efforts in the Saadani area began in the mid-1960s and were supported by local villagers. However, only recently have government-led conservation efforts become a growing concern for villages near the park.

In the late 1990s, Mr. Domician Njao from Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) changed the reserve into a National Park, creating Tanzania’s first and only coastal national park. Park officials adjusted the reserve’s boundaries to include Uvinje’s and Porokanya’s coastal lands, claiming these areas had always been part of the reserve. Research shows that TANAPA later officially declared most of Saadani’s coastal lands as part of the Saadani National Park in 2005, stating these lands had always belonged to the former reserve. Maps of the former Saadani Game Reserve show TANAPA’s strategy to include Saadani’s coastal lands as if they had always been part of the reserve. The original Saadani Game Reserve was reported to cover about 209 km² (81 sq mi), but the official gazette document states it covered approximately 300 km² (120 sq mi).

The unclear language in the reserve’s official gazette, combined with TANAPA’s early creation of its own maps and interest in coastal lands, has challenged the legal rights of Saadani’s coastal sub-villages to live on their traditional lands. This has led to ongoing political and other conflicts, with villagers demanding the removal of park boundaries, the restoration of land rights, and TANAPA to honor earlier agreements made by the Wildlife Division.

The Current Status of Saadani National Park

By law, when areas are set aside for conservation, affected villages must be consulted to some degree. However, in late 2005, the village of Saadani and leaders of its Uvinje sub-village learned that Uvinje’s lands had been officially marked as part of the park. This happened even though village leaders had repeatedly said since the early 2000s that Uvinje’s lands were never part of the reserve and that they would not leave their homes. Important documents show that TANAPA claimed lands from two Saadani coastal sub-villages had always been part of the former game reserve. This argument allowed TANAPA to proceed with marking the coastal lands without reaching an agreement with the leaders, who had clearly stated they did not agree to giving the lands to TANAPA.

In summary, the SNP’s boundaries and lands have been officially disputed by district authorities and six villages. At least four other nearby villages are working to have the park’s boundaries reviewed. However, Saadani faces the greatest challenges because a large part of its coastal territory was officially marked without agreement. Saadani is also the village with the largest stretch of coastal land.

After more than 10 years of efforts, Saadani has resisted TANAPA’s attempts to take control of the now-gazetted lands. The village continues to demand that their land rights be restored and has stated they will not give up their traditional territory for any amount of money. These actions show that community members value their deep connection to the land and culture as much as, if not more than, financial benefits.

To this day, park management has not gained the support of nearby villages, which have historically been conservation-focused, to address poaching or work together on conservation efforts. These efforts are urgently needed to combat the seven times increase in poaching over the last seven years. At least 10 of the 17 villages near the park have their own protected areas, covering 20% of the land officially identified as part of the park. Despite these villages’ awareness of conservation and the importance of connecting ecosystems, their efforts have not been linked to the park’s work. Instead, park officials often report that poaching occurs more frequently in these protected areas, which they view as a threat.

Climate

The Park has an Eastern African coastal climate with two rainy seasons each year. It receives between 800 and 1200 millimeters of rain annually. The longer rainy season occurs from March to June, and the shorter one happens from October to December. February and July are the driest months, with highest temperatures reaching up to 29 degrees Celsius. The best time to visit is during the dry season, though the Park is enjoyable throughout the year.

Wildlife

Saadani's wildlife population has grown in recent years after the area was designated a National Park. Before this, the region was used as a hunting block. The park is home to four of the Big Five animals: lions, African bush elephants, Cape buffaloes, and leopards. Other animals found in Saadani include Masai giraffes, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, waterbucks, blue wildebeests, bohor reedbucks, common and red duikers, Dik-Diks, yellow baboons, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, Colobus monkeys, mongooses, genets, porcupines, sable antelopes, warthogs, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and Nile monitors.

Since 2005, the protected area has been recognized as a Lion Conservation Unit.