Tanzania, once hailed as a regional anchor of stability, has been ranked among the world’s worst performers in terms of democratic backsliding, coming in fourth globally in the latest Freedom House report. But beyond the politics and the statistics, this democratic retreat is casting a long shadow over the future of conservation and climate resilience, not just in Tanzania but across the East African region.
The erosion of civil liberties, growing authoritarianism, and repression of local communities, particularly Indigenous ones, are increasingly undermining conservation efforts. Nowhere is this more visible than in the Serengeti, where the government’s recent crackdowns on the Maasai people, who have lived in harmony with wildlife for generations, have drawn global condemnation.
Under the guise of expanding conservation zones, Tanzanian authorities have violently evicted thousands of Maasai from ancestral lands to make way for elite tourism and trophy hunting interests. The militarization of conservation spaces and the silencing of local environmental defenders are not just human rights violations; they are symptoms of a larger collapse in democratic accountability that threatens the integrity of conservation.
“Conservation without communities is colonialism,” says a local rights advocate in Arusha, speaking under anonymity for fear of reprisal. “The government is using conservation to grab land, displace people, and reward powerful foreign investors. It is not about saving wildlife, it is about consolidating power.”
The consequences are dire. Traditional ecological knowledge, which Indigenous communities like the Maasai have practiced for centuries, is being erased. Distrust is growing between the state and rural populations, leading to increased poaching, land degradation, and deforestation, as displaced communities are forced to survive in unfamiliar, often marginal landscapes.
Tanzania’s democratic slide is not occurring in isolation. Freedom House has also flagged sharp democratic declines in Uganda and Burundi, both of which border ecologically sensitive and transboundary ecosystems like Lake Victoria and the Albertine Rift. Kenya and Rwanda, while more subtle in their approach, are also showing authoritarian tendencies that stifle civic engagement and independent environmental watchdogs.
The regional picture is bleak. Democratic backsliding is eroding public participation in environmental governance, weakening transparency in the allocation of climate finance, and closing civic space for environmental journalism and climate activism.
Climate change is already intensifying in East Africa, manifesting in prolonged droughts, erratic rains, and collapsing biodiversity. The region desperately needs strong institutions, inclusive governance, and empowered local communities to steward ecosystems and respond effectively. Yet, with civil society shrinking and media silenced, the climate crisis is unfolding in a democratic vacuum.
“The fight against climate change cannot be won without democracy,” said a conservation policy expert based in Nairobi. “You need freedom of expression to expose environmental degradation. You need the rule of law to hold polluters accountable. You need local participation to ensure sustainable solutions. Right now, we’re losing all three.”
As Tanzania doubles down on authoritarian tactics and other East African governments follow suit, the region’s hard-won conservation gains and climate resilience efforts are at risk of unraveling. Forest protection, wildlife management, and carbon offset projects all depend on trust, transparency, and participation, values under siege in much of the region.
The international community, particularly climate donors and conservation organizations, faces a moral and strategic dilemma. Supporting governments engaged in repression under the banner of conservation may offer short-term wins, but risks long-term legitimacy and effectiveness. Instead, advocates say funding must prioritize community-led conservation, legal empowerment, and independent monitoring, even when that means confronting uncomfortable political truths.
Tanzania’s ranking in the Freedom House index should serve as more than a political alarm as it is an environmental warning bell for East Africa. As democracy withers, so too does the region’s ability to confront the twin crises of ecological collapse and climate change.
