Anthropogenic changes in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Abstract: Since the 1950s the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) has experienced several changes in land use policy. In the early 1990s the NCA’s policy was changed for the last time and the area became considered an experimental multiple land use system. This has resulted in conflict between the government and conservationist groups, who argued that allowing people to reside within the protected area will cause damage to the functionality of the ecosystem. By mapping the land cover change within the NCA between 2000 and 2019 this report was able to determine the extent of degradation taking place. The results of this paper show that agriculture and settlement now cover 2% of the area within the NCA with settlements being the dominant form of expansion. Whilst this development has taken place over the last 19 years, this paper also shows that population density in the districts surrounding the parks is increasing and may lead to population pressure and further degradation in the future. Through examining land cover changes surrounding the closest village to the NCA it was also possible to look for encroachment into the NCA. The results show that no encroachment is currently taking place but may do so as the town continues to expand.