Socio-demographic and geographic factors influencing knowledge of the local community on community development initiatives supported by Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), northern Tanzania

The relationship between people and support for conservation through community development initiatives is guided by socio-demographic and geographic factors and understanding these factors may influence local knowledge as vital for effective natural resources conservation and community development. This study assessed socio-demographic and geographic factors influencing residents’ knowledge (RK) of community development projects supported by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) in northern Tanzania. Data were collected over six months (July–December 2021) through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 371 randomly selected respondents across six villages, proportionally sampled based on population size. Using a binomial logistic regression model, the study found that knowledge levels significantly varied by gender, age, education, and village location. Males were 2.43 times more likely to be knowledgeable than females, while older respondents (35–50 and > 50 years) were 7.52 and 4.72 times more likely to be informed than young individuals, respectively. Respondents with secondary education or higher were 8.58 more likely to have knowledge than respondents lacking formal education. Residents in the highland zone had lower knowledge than those in the lowland zone, 0.13 times more likely to have knowledge in the midland zone (trend) and 0.10 times more likely to have knowledge in the highland zone. The income source was not a significant factor. These findings emphasize the need for targeted conservation education for marginalized groups, particularly women, youth, and highland zone groups to boost awareness, support conservation efforts, and increase participation in NCAA development initiatives.