African Rainforest Conservancy (ARC)

About This Cause

ARC's mission is to conserve Tanzania's Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests by raising the capacity of local conservation networks and encouraging sustainable economic development. Current projects are being implemented in two of Conservation International's "ten most threatened forest hotspots" - the coastal forests of Eastern Africa (#8) and the Eastern Afromontane (#10). These forest hotspots have as little as 10 percent of their original forest habitat remaining, yet are home to at least 1,500 plant species found nowhere else in the world. The Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests are globally important for their biodiversity values; nationally important as the water catchment areas of Eastern Tanzania; and locally important as a source of forest products for local people. The ecosystem services provided by these forests to the people of Tanzania is estimated to be US$ 175 million per annum. The forests are also an important reservoir and sink for greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Preventing deforestation in this area is therefore important in efforts to mitigate climate change.