Rapidly increasing intensive wildlife poaching, particularly of elephants, and the illegal trafficking of ivory to consumer countries is causing a rapid decline in mega-fauna populations and risks foregoing the opportunity for significant rural development through wildlife tourism. In 2014, the Government of Tanzania developed and approved the National Anti-Poaching and illegal Wildlife Trade (APIWT) Strategy. This project has the objective to combat poaching and the illegal wildlife trade in Tanzania through an integrated approach. In particular, the project will support the Government of Tanzania in implementing the APIWT Strategy, i.e. by strengthening legislation and institutional capacity to tackle poaching and wildlife trafficking at national level and increase intensity of international collaboration to fight IWT between Tanzania and neighbouring countries (Outcome 1). At the landscape level the project will contribute to anti-poaching capacity of newly established Tasking and Coordination Groups (TCGs), improve multi-institutional collaboration and increase the level of their cooperation with local communities, business and NGOs in nine ecosystems into which the country is partitioned (Outcome 2). At the same time, the project will address needs of local communities in sustainable livelihoods and equitable sharing of benefits from wildlife and tourism via increasing community involvement in wildlife crime enforcement and monitoring activities; promoting sustainable livelihoods that reduce dependency on vulnerable habitats/wildlife within the Ruaha/Rungwa ecosystem (Outcome 3). A national campaign will be undertaken, raising awareness of conservation and wildlife crime, and the ivory trade, among citizens and authorities in Tanzania. Lessons learned from the project via active participation of all stakeholder groups in the project implementation and M&E will be made available nationally and internationally to facilitate IWT fight, including lessons on gender mainstreaming (Outcome 4).