The World Bank Inspection Panel has released a non-technical summary of its investigation into the Tanzania: Resilient Natural Resources Management for Tourism and Growth (REGROW) Project (P150523). The summary is available on the Panel’s website and provides an accessible overview of the Panel’s findings and Bank Management’s responses and actions taken following the concerns raised by the Requesters and affected communities.  The non-technical summary is also available in Swahili.

The REGROW Project, approved in 2017, aimed to improve the management of natural resource and tourism assets in priority areas of southern Tanzania and to increase access to alternative livelihoods for targeted communities. The project’s focus on developing the “Southern Circuit” for tourism covered unique protected areas, including the large Ruaha National Park (RUNAPA).

In June 2023, the Inspection Panel received a request alleging violations of World Bank environmental and social safeguard policies, including evictions without application of the Bank’s involuntary resettlement instruments, harm caused to Indigenous Peoples groups, and restriction of access to RUNAPA with the authorities seizing cattle and at times using excessive force against people. The Panel received a second request in May 2024 which reiterated these concerns and highlighted that new government actions put over 21,000 people at risk of eviction and that many more continued to face livelihood restrictions.

The Panel’s investigation, completed in September 2024, found that:

• Project documents did not adequately identify the extent to which villages were present within RUNAPA, and it did not consider the associated social risks, including the risk of involuntary resettlement.
• The Bank was aware of the potential resettlement of communities residing within RUNAPA, but it had not ensured appropriate safeguards were in place or applied.
• The Project did not properly identify that support to park management would increase enforcement of restricting community access to RUNAPA and that this could adversely affect livelihoods.
• The Bank did not sufficiently assess the capacity or law enforcement role of the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), nor did it monitor reports of violence and conflict affecting human health and safety.
• Project supervision was insufficient, particularly regarding the risks of involuntary resettlement and the potential use of excessive force by TANAPA rangers.

Following the Panel’s investigation, the World Bank acknowledged weaknesses in project design, implementation, and supervision. According to Bank Management, it has since:

• Supported the establishment of a Trust Fund for alternative livelihoods in affected villages.
• Committed to a new IDA-funded project focused on community-led climate action and livelihoods.
• Strengthened grievance redress mechanisms.
• Supported the Government to convene a workshop on international good practice on the management of parks and protected areas.
• Developed new guidance and training for staff on managing the risks of projects involving protected areas.

The objective of the release of this non-technical summary is to make the findings of completed investigations more accessible to the public and contribute to knowledge sharing. In due course, the Inspection Panel will also release a video describing the investigation report of the REGROW Project.  Learn more.