Greater Lake Natron
WHERE WE WORK
Bordering Kenya and framed by Ol Donyo Lengai, the Greater Lake Natron landscape represents a critical ecosystem currently experiencing significant stress. This arid region supports zebras, giraffes, lions, and leopards, as well as pastoralist communities that are increasingly affected by drought and habitat degradation.
In partnership with local villages, regional collaborators, and WWF-UK, the Land for Life project helped strengthen conservation, grassland health, and sustainable livelihoods across the region. Today, APW continues to advance human-wildlife coexistence and rangeland stewardship in Greater Lake Natron with committed partners and supporters, including Lion Recovery Fund.
Through African People & Wildlife, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries has seen impactful efforts to ensure that pastoral livelihoods and rangeland management are improved by building educational capacity as well as assisting in implementing projects to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Alfred Mushy, Senior Range Management Officer, Directorate of Grazing Land and Animal Feed Resources
On the Ground in Greater Lake Natron
Transboundary Collaboration
The Land for Life project encompassed 8,890 square kilometers across southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, connecting key wildlife corridors between the Serengeti-Mara and Kilimanjaro-Amboseli ecosystems. APW, WWF, SORALO, and communities in Longido District worked together on this effort.
Through the project, APW and SORALO integrated data systems to establish one of Africa’s largest cross-border human-wildlife conflict datasets. That platform continues to inform rapid response efforts and long-term strategic planning.
Restoring Rangelands Together
Through Land for Life, APW worked with communities to strengthen grazing management, support invasive species removal, and improve rangeland restoration planning. The project also helped establish joint grazing committees and strengthen evidence-based decision-making around pasture condition, restoration activities, zoning, and livestock mobility.
In Tanzania, these efforts supported coordinated management across the Muriatata, Lelek, and Muryamunyi rangelands, with 882.5 km² under improved management by 2025. APW’s rangeland work in Greater Lake Natron continues beyond Land for Life through ongoing collaboration with communities and local habitat monitors.
From Retaliation to Peaceful Resolution
Human-Wildlife Coexistence Officers operate within local communities as the front lines of conflict response and prevention. Through Land for Life, the project expanded this work in Tanzania, including the introduction of Human-Elephant Conflict mitigation in the final year in response to rising crop-raiding incidents. Because these officers are based in the communities they serve, they help identify hotspots, respond quickly, and build trust that wildlife-related losses are taken seriously.
Across the project landscape, reported large carnivore attacks on livestock at pasture decreased by 41.9% between 2022 and 2024, while attempted retaliatory killings declined by 84%. APW continues this broader commitment to coexistence in Greater Lake Natron with the network of officers, community partners, and new supporters.
Climate-Smart Action
Climate change has intensified drought and pressure on land and water across the region. Through Land for Life, communities and partners advanced restoration and climate-resilient rangeland management, including invasive species removal, gully repair, rotational grazing, and improved decision-making through community-led monitoring. These efforts strengthened local capacity to care for rangelands under increasing climate stress.
The project also contributed to improved wellbeing over time, with 79% of adults in the target area reporting positive wellbeing by the end of the project, up from 55% at baseline.
Land for Life Partners
