CHUMBE ISLAND, ZANZIBAR. NUMBER 1 ECO-TOURIST DESTINATION IN THE WORLD!

28th May 2000: On February 22nd this year, the Chumbe Project was awarded the BRITISH AIRWAYS TOURISM FOR TOMORROW: GLOBAL AWARD!! Selected as the premier destination in all the world for environmentally sensitive tourism involving local communities. Here we look at why the Chumbe Project was selected....

The coral reefs surrounding the islands of Zanzibar have long been famous for their astounding beauty and fertile source of marine creatures. The people of Zanzibar rely heavily on this natural resource, for both a food source and as an integral part of the thriving tourism industry. However the impacts of such a tourism industry, combined with an increasing population, is starting to take its toll, in damaged and dying reefs. Fish catches are decreasing at a frightening rate, and the threat of coastal erosion becomes more a reality each day.

In an attempt to counter this, in the early 1990's a German lady, Ms Sibylle Riedmiller, decided to campaign for a Marine Protected Area in Zanzibar. The location was a small uninhabited Island situated 8 miles off the coast of Zanzibar (Unguja), called Chumbe Island.

Chumbe was selected because when studied, it was found to be host to an incredibly bio-diverse reef system; so much so that one expert from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia described the Chumbe reef as "..one of the most spectacular coral gardens to be found anywhere in the world." In 1994 the Government of Zanzibar gazetted the island as a Protected Area to be managed by CHICOP, Chumbe Island Coral Park LTD; founded by Ms Riedmiller.

This makes Chumbe Island the first, and only Private Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the world.

CHICOP wanted to show, that with Private investment as opposed to donor funded or aid dependent Protected Area management, it was indeed possible to set up a completely SELF - RELIANT conservation project, where the Project itself generates its own revenue to provide protection and care for the environment into the future. As we enter the new millenium it is increasingly essential that conservation projects are SUSTAINABLE in their own right and do not rely on often fickle donor approaches or politically tangled Aid assistance. The Chumbe Project shows that the people of Zanzibar can work independently to care for and Protect their natural heritage. This is a truly unique approach, the first of its kind in the world.

On Chumbe Conservation is pro-active, as rangers patrol the island ensuring the forest reserve is protected and the Chumbe reef remains unspoilt as it provides an essential breeding area for declining fisheries species. The fish born in the reef sanctuary disperse to re-populate the more stressed areas where fish numbers are declining. With such pristine environmental conditions, research opportunities have developed; including the setting up of an Aders Duiker sanctuary (the most endangered species of antelope in East Africa); and various coral research projects through the Institute of Marine Science (IMS), University of Dar es Salaam.

The Education Centre on the island hosts school visits from schools throughout Zanzibar, under the co-ordination of the Marine Education Awareness and Biodiversity Programme (MEAB), and with support from Fondo per la terra. These children benefit from learning about the resources upon which many of their families livelihoods depend, and upon which they may be likely to depend upon themselves in later life. Many of the schools in Tanzania have limited resources to teach marine education practically, and often Chumbe is the only insight these children have into this environment in the field.

For the overall management of this MPA, the Project relies on its own funds, generated through closely managed eco-tourism. However, unlike many other tourist ventures, Chumbe is special as visitors to the island must, by definition of a protected area, have ZERO impact on the environment. Therefore on Chumbe unique eco-bungalows have been developed in which the guests stay. These are all built with state of the art eco-architecture and eco-technology (solar water heating, solar photovoltaic electricity, rainwater catchment systems, greywater filtration and compost toilets). These bungalows are so revolutionary in the field of eco-design that Chumbe has been chosen to represent Tanzania at the EXPO2000 in Germany, where a bungalow will be re-constructed. As there are only 7 eco-bungalows numbers of guests are limited; in itself a component to ensure that impact on the island environment is avoided.

Chumbe is demonstrating to the rest of the world that it is possible to have Conservation, Education AND Tourism working in harmony! Also, as the Zanzibar economy is now heavily dependent on the income from tourists, it is hoped that Hoteliers and Tour operators will benefit from the work on Chumbe; understanding that it is possible to create tourism facilities without damaging the very resources that these tourists are coming to visit.

At the British Airways Awards ceremony in London, the Chairman of British Airways, Lord Marshall, said, "Since the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards were launched in 1989, recognition of sustainable tourism has grown in the travel industry as well as in the general public's consciousness. We are delighted that this innovative project has won. Chumbe Island acts as a wonderful model for future sustainable tourism schemes."

Zanzibar is a fascinating and wondrous place. The warm tropical climate and stunning natural resources are the very things that draw people to this island paradise. With the help of Chumbe Marine Park, it is hoped that the people of Zanzibar may continue to welcome visitors well into the future, whilst safe-guarding the very sights these tourists travel so far to see.

Chumbe is on the UN list of protected areas registered at the World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge UK.

Eleanor Carter, Project Manager