IRA uses an ecosystem approach to characterize the nature and magnitude of ecological changes and its implications to humans (e.g., residents, workers, recreational visitors) and ecological receptors (e.g., birds, fish, wildlife) from pollutants, land use changes and other stressors, acting on the environment. Natural resources managers use this information to help them decide how to protect humans and the environment. In 2008 IRA implemented an Integrated Ecosystem Assessment of the Livingstone Mountain Ranges in Mbinga District, Tanzania. The program was implemented as a pilot phase towards the implementation of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) in the Tanzanian context