Skip to content
25 Kibwe/Kingalu Road, Forest Hill Area, P.O. Box 6053, 67109 Morogoro, Tanzania eamcef@easternarc.or.tz
Understanding the Eastern Arc Mountains

 Scientists believe that the forests have survived on the Eastern Arc Mountains for over 30 million years, and were once connected to the forests of the Congo Basin and West Africa.

The Eastern Arc Mountains are a chain of ancient mountains covered by rainforests and grasslands in Tanzania and Kenya. Scientists believe that the forests have survived on the Eastern Arc Mountains for over 30 million years, and were once connected to the forests of the Congo Basin and West Africa. Neighboring mountains are much younger, for example, Kilimanjaro Mountain is estimated to be about 1-2 million years old. The Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania and Kenya are among the most important areas for conserving biological diversity worldwide. The conservation of these mountains is being supported by the Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania and various development partners including the Government of Norway, the World Bank, and GEF/UNDP. The Eastern Arc Mountains stretch across 15 districts in Tanzania.

Key Features of the Eastern Arc Mountains

13 Blocks

separate Mountain blocks form the EAMs

600Km

of a broad arc formed by EAMs blocks

23 ,000 sq km

of the area covered by EAMs blocks

12 Blocks

of the EAMs blocks are within Tanzania, spreading in over 15 Districts – forming amazing landscapes!

40%

of Tanzania’s remaining Tropical high forests are within the EAMs blocks

535 Sq Km

Of EAMs blocks are covered by tropical forests

200 Tons of Carbon

Released into the atmosphere per each hectare degraded

152 Mill. tons of Carbon

Estimated to be stored in EAMs forests, potential for climate change mitigation

What is special about the Eastern Arc Mountains?

“In my house we managed to install a small biogas feeder that utilizes animal dung to generate energy for cooking. I bought a stove and constructed a good kitchen”
Sifa Mwandila Idegenda – Village, Kilolo District

Back To Top