THE Parliament has approved a government request to re-demarcate part of Nyerere National Park to help resolve longstanding boundary disputes and support development efforts in a manner that benefits both communities and conservation.

Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ambassador Dr. Pindi Chana, presenting the motion in Parliament, said the government has decided to carve out an area of 1,617 square kilometers from Nyerere National Park and return it to the Selous Game Reserve.

This decision reduces the size of the national park from 30,893 to 29,276 square kilometers.

She explained that the move aims to address persistent boundary conflicts between the park and surrounding villages, the Selous Game Reserve, and community wildlife management areas including Mbarang’andu, Juhiwangumwa, Iluma, Jukumu, Magingo, and Nalika.

"By doing this, we are strengthening the security of protected areas, improving relationships between communities and conservation authorities, and resolving longstanding disputes," she said.

The minister further noted that the boundary change is designed to safeguard a critical ecological corridor that links Nyerere National Park with Selous Game Reserve, while also ensuring sustained water flow in the Rufiji River — a vital resource for the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP).

She also emphasized that the adjustment will boost national benefits by enhancing tourism and game hunting activities in the Selous Game Reserve and adjacent areas, thereby increasing domestic revenue from the tourism sector.

“We are now moving toward a more holistic conservation approach — protecting wildlife, plant life, aquatic breeding grounds, and improving water availability for farmers, pastoralists, and fishers,” she added.