The World Bank has suspended funding for a tourism and conservation project in Tanzania following allegations of human rights abuses. The $150 million Resilient Natural Resource Management for Tourism and Growth Project (REGROW) was set up to improve the management of natural resources and tourism assets in southern Tanzania. However, the Oakland Institute, a US-based think tank, has raised allegations of forced evictions and rights abuses against communities living near Ruaha national park, which the government is planning to expand as part of the scheme.
The World Bank has stated that it is deeply concerned about the allegations of abuse and injustice related to REGROW. The bank has robust policies in place to identify and avoid harmful impacts, and after receiving information suggesting breaches of these policies in the implementation of the REGROW project, has decided to suspend further disbursement of funds with immediate effect.
The Oakland Institute has claimed that the project impacted tens of thousands of villagers in Tanzania and that the World Bank’s funding had “paved the way for widespread human rights abuses” against communities living near Ruaha. It had reported last year that the Tanzanian government planned to forcibly evict more than 20,000 people to expand the park, with the Oakland Institute documenting violence and rampant cattle seizures by wildlife rangers.
The Executive Director of the Oakland Institute, Anuradha Mittal, has stated that the World Bank’s decision to suspend the project is a crucial step towards accountability and justice and sends a message to the Tanzanian government that there are consequences for its human rights abuses.
The government of Tanzania has not yet commented publicly on the suspension of funding. The East African country is renowned for its spectacular wildlife parks such as the Serengeti, as well as being home to Africa’s tallest mountain Kilimanjaro and Indian Ocean islands including Zanzibar. The tourism sector generated $3.37 billion in revenue in 2023 as international arrivals rebounded by 24% to 1.8 million, according to official figures.
