Tanzania is exploring the use of drones to strengthen forest surveillance as authorities seek faster and more efficient ways to protect the country’s forest resources.
The Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) is expected to benefit from the technology following a study visit by Tanzanian forestry experts to Russia, where they examined how drones are being deployed in forest management, monitoring and protection.
The visit, held from September 7 to 13 in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, was conducted under the Drone Forest Trek Project, which is being implemented through forestry cooperation between Tanzania and Russia.
The technology could help authorities monitor large and remote forest areas more efficiently, identify possible threats and provide information that can support conservation and enforcement operations.
PCO Jared Otieno, a TFS chief conservator and coordinator of the project on the Tanzanian side, said the visit provided an opportunity for experts to gain practical knowledge on the use of drones in forest management and protection.
“The visit enabled us to see how drone technology can be used in forest management and protection,” Mr Otieno said.
He said the partnership was also aimed at strengthening the skills of Tanzanian experts through knowledge and experience sharing with their Russian counterparts.
During the visit, the Tanzanian delegation toured LETI University, the Luga Forestry Department, the Luga Forest Seed Production Centre and Geoscan, a company specialising in drone technology.
The delegation also studied technologies used in tree seed production, widening the scope of the cooperation beyond forest surveillance.
The team was led by Dr Celestin Barama, Director of Forest Resource Utilisation at the Tanzania Forestry Research Institute (TAFORI), and included experts from TFS, TAFORI, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.
The partnership comes as Tanzania seeks to strengthen the management of its forest resources using technology and specialised expertise.
Mr Otieno said the cooperation would further strengthen Tanzania-Russia relations in forest conservation, with Russian experts expected to visit Tanzania in November for further technical exchanges.
The planned deployment of drones could complement ground patrols rather than replace them, particularly in hard-to-reach areas. It could also give conservation authorities access to timely information to guide where and when patrol teams are deployed.