Within the Landscape there are over 2,000 species of plants, over 430 species of birds, and 60 species of mammals. Key species include African elephant, black rhino, African wild dog, lion, leopard and cheetah among others. Notably the elephant population in Ruvuma is the single largest population in East Africa and was once the second largest on the African continent. Thus, the landscape is important for Tanzania and Mozambique’s tourism industry that is dependent on charismatic wildlife such as elephant, rhino and lion. 
The landscape is also home to a population of over 8 million people, the majority of who depend heavily on its natural resources. While the landscape already makes a sizeable contribution to the economy in Tanzania and Mozambique, through tourism, there is potential to improve that for the benefit of people and nature.