Committee Description

Serengeti National Park is a renowned national park located in northern Tanzania that covers approximately 14,750 square kilometres. Established in 1940, it is teeming with wildlife, including 4000 lions, comprising the largest population in Africa. It is also an important refuge for many highly threatened species, housing large populations of cheetahs, African wild dogs, black rhinoceros, and African elephants. The Serengeti is most famous for the annual Great Migration, the largest animal migration in the world with over 1.5 million wildebeest, 250,000 zebras, and other animals that traverse the park every year. As the world’s third-largest national park, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding natural beauty and biodiversity. It was also classified as a Category II protected area under the IUCN’s system, placing the protection of the ecosystem at the heart of its management. 

Delegates will form the national park’s board of directors, representing government agencies, local communities, conservation organisations, tourism operators, and scientific institutions. They will be tasked with overseeing the operations and future planning of the park, notably by addressing issues ranging from park logistics to poaching and game licences, while touching upon tourism and population growth. Of growing concern is the increasing biodiversity loss and threats to iconic species due to anthropogenic stressors, including increasing interaction between farmers and wildlife, habitat encroachment, and a growing tourism industry. 

Conservation priorities will need to be balanced with supporting economic growth in the region. Good relations with local farmers, Indigenous peoples, and the Tanzanian government must be maintained as the committee looks to chart the future of the park and the wildlife that call it home. While this will no doubt be a challenge, we are confident that delegates will be able to come up with innovative solutions to protect this iconic national park for generations to come. The Dais is excited to meet all of the delegates at SSUNS 2024!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Raphaëlle Muller-Feuga at spec@ssuns.org

Nick Chow

Chair

Fiorella Medina Scarone

Vice-Chair

Bryn Leonard

Vice-Chair

Paul-Emile Vallette d’Osia

Vice-Chair