Serengeti Road on, stresses Magufuli

The government has stressed that plans for construction of the proposed 480-km Arusha-Musoma highway through the Serengeti National Park are still on despite mounting pressures from local and international activists.

Speaking here exclusively after inspecting the construction of the Arusha-Namanga highway, minister for Works, Dr John Magufuli explained: “There is no way we can stop constructing this important road.”

Construction of the Serengeti highway is set to begin in 2012. The corridor will run from Mto-wa-Mbu, to Engaruka on to Lake Natron shores, Loliondo, Serengeti and finally Musoma.

He said the road was important both socially and economically as it linked people in the northern tourists’ circuits with other Tanzanians as well as boosting the tourist industry in the country.

Dr Magufuli noted that for years, thousands of people in Loliondo and Serengeti areas were denied proper road networks.

He wondered why the pressure was coming from environmental activists in neighbouring countries like Kenya.

“I wonder as why these pressures come from Kenya? This road will benefit our people and the development of our country, so we need to be firm on this,” he said, adding: “I have visited different national parks like those in South Africa and Botwana, and there are tarmac roads, yet the wild animals are still there.”

According to the outspoken minister, the Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) had carried out its own survey and found that the road will have no negative impacts on the Serengeti national park.

“So, I don’t know where these noises are coming from,” he said, stressing that the road will ease movement of goods and people in the northern regions and the neighbouring countries.

He however, agreed with the proposal by Tanzania’s non-governmental organizations engaged in environmental issues not to tarmac a section between Kleins gate and Tabora B area of the Serengeti National Park.

A network of 56 environmental organisations recently argued that the 53-km section of the proposed road is an important corridor for seasonal migration of wildebeest.

The network’s representatives made the call recently after working on people’s views on the controversial project, which has drawn the attention of activists from around the world.

An official from Serengeti Environmental Protection and Development Association (SEPDA) Joseph Masina said the majority of people backed the project due to its socio-economic importance.

Deo Mfugale, chairman of the Journalists Environmental Association of Tanzania (JET) said the Serengeti National Park needs to maintain its status, as the World Heritage Site by keeping its environment natural.

About a month ago hundreds of people living along the proposed Arusha-Musoma highway rallied behind the plan, citing economic importance to the local communities and the entire nation.

For almost six months, green activists have been rallying against the proposed road, citing potential disruption to the world’s greatest migration route of wildebeest which was likely to collapse.

The government of Tanzania has maintained its determination to construct the road, estimated to cost USD480million, saying it had taken the necessary precaution not to disrupt the environment.

During his election campaign trail, President Jakaya Kikwete maintained that the planned road would not disturb the ecosystem of Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

He said the project had taken into consideration all necessary precautions regarding environmental conservation.

“The road will not pass through the conservation area in the first place and all precautions have been taken to make sure that the wildlife is not affected,” the president explained.

Saa Nane to become national park

THE status of Saa Nane Island in Mwanza Region will soon be elevated to national park, according to the Arusha-based Tanzania National Parks Authority. The new status will take effect sometime next year. Saa Nane, which is being upgraded from its previous status as a forest reserve and wildlife acclimatization zone, will increase the number of national parks from the current 15 to 16 next year. "Saa Nane Island will be the first ever Wildlife Game Park to be located within a city," said Mr Donatus Bayona, the Acting Conservator of the proposed national park. He explained that already the rocky island with breathtaking scenic settings, natural growth and marine attractions has been attracting many residents from Mwanza and the surrounding Lake Zone regions. The Park Warden in charge of tourism, Ms Rukia Juma Mallya, said the proposed national park could help promote domestic tourism. According to her, the island currently gets an average of 250 visitors per month and between 180 and 200 of those are local Tanzanians coming mainly from Mwanza. After being gazetted next year, Saa Nane Island is also going to be the smallest national park in both Tanzania and East Africa, with its territory measuring some 0.7 square kilometres comprising both dry land and water. The proposed Saa Nane National Park will command a 200-metre perimeter of water to the south and 100 meters aquatic corridor in the north. The Acting Conservator, Mr Bayona, said that the new proposal includes the incorporation of two smaller islets -- Chankende Kubwa and Chankende Ndogo -- located in the southern part of the main island. "Local residents have asked us to take under our wing the two islands in order to curb illegal fishing, environment destruction as well as crime because the waters surrounding the two land features on Lake Victoria will be manned and patrolled by TANAPA wardens," he said. But what should people expect to find at Saa Nane Island? "The proposed national park is home to mammals like the Impala, rock hyrax, velvet monkeys, wild cats, clawless Otters and de-brazzas monkeys. The aquatic part of the park will offer all types of fish, crocodiles, marine snakes and monitor lizards. Other reptiles include tortoises, grass snakes, pythons and agama lizards." There are plans to introduce new animal species to boost the island's wildlife variety and the conservator reveals that soon zebras, grant's gazelles, dik-diks and Kllipringers will be included at Saa Nane after an extensive study by zoological experts including scholars from the University of Dar es Salaam. Other attractions at Saa Nane include the landmarks of Mwanza; the huge naturally designed rocky hills and landscapes, the lake view and natural vegetation decorated by a variety of birds' species, insects and flowers.

Timber harvest permits under stricter scrutiny

THE Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has suspended processing of all application forms for permits to harvest forest products, pending completion of an in-depth investigation on some noticeable irregularities. Among other issues under scrutiny are factors behind the continued authorization of permits despite an official ban by the government. Some of the permits were misused to propel illegal exports of logs together with the associated revenue denied to the government in the tune of billions. Sources revealed that in the list of applicants are four 'foreign' companies that for the last six months kept pressing for authorization of their permits to harvest the expensive teak-wood in Mtibwa, Morogoro and Longuza Forest in Lushoto, Tanga Region. The applicants previously bragging and confident to have the permits in their possession anytime before elections were disappointed by the change of leadership in the ministry. Impeccable sources from within have disclosed that the applicants believed that the permits would be issued promptly due to the pressure exerted by influential personalities to expedite the process. It was further disclosed that some of the entrusted government officials both within and outside the forestry division have teamed up to form forest product export companies but the majority opt to hide their identities. However, Natural Resources Minister Ezekiel Maige has sensed some irregularities in different sections, including issuance of permits and expenditure of public funds through unnecessary trips abroad. "Laws and regulations must be adhered to and no stone will be left unturned. Shoddy deals are totally unacceptable. Our (ministry) responsibility includes management of natural resources, cultural resources and the development of the tourism industry," Maige explained. Nevertheless, the minister was explicit on harnessing of the resources, saying that timber harvesting was not prohibited indefinitely but rather should be done in a sustainable manner not indiscriminately. The 'Sunday News' wanted to find out whether the reported irregularities were accidental or deliberate. The answer is simple; deliberate. Local traders including corrupt officials were taking advantage of the existing outdated rates charged for forest products in the country. Local traders have proved beyond reasonable doubt that the world market offers better prices many times more than the local rates. As a result more join the business confident of huge returns. At the moment, teak wood fetches the best prices in the world market but comparative revenue demanded in Tanzania is hardly 200,000/- or USD 133.3 per cubic meter, equivalent to USD 1,330 per tonne as opposed to over USD 3,000 per tonne abroad. The worst part of the story is that even the necessary revenue is not fully paid and the income does not match the consignment(s) ferried to distant destinations. Uncelebrated ports like Mafia, Lindi, Mtwara, Pangani and others are excellent exit points of untaxed logs. The document at hand, for example, under the title, License to fell and collect Forest Produce in General Land with serial number 000008535 issued in one of the district councils on May 07, 2008 indicated that 1,080,000/- was paid as revenue for 60 cubic metres of Mkongo wood. This is equivalent to 18,000/- per cubic metre or 180,000/- per tonne which equals USD 120. From the Web, the teakwood wholesale selling prices are posted each month by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) According to ITTO, the average wholesale price of teak in 2002 was USD $2,929 per Hoppus tonne. But In January 2003, the price had risen again to $3,244 for a three months rolling average of $3,063. Among other surprises noticed despite official government ban on log export since 2006 was laxity in supervising felling of trees even for timber meant for domestic consumption. Sources further explained that it was common for a trader, for example, to be granted a permit to harvest 100 cubic metres of wood but left alone to harvest 300 cubic metres. "Lack of control was deliberate only to 'penalize' traders at check points. But little goes to the government coffers because the check points are quite symbolic. The alleged penalty goes into individual pockets," another source said. He added; "In fact the check points are nothing short of 'cash points' where money exchanges hands.. Perhaps the new administration will make a difference," the source sounded optimistic. The latest information indicated that the ongoing reforms at the ministry have annoyed corrupt officials who have established business empires beyond borders. To prove their word, sources outlined three factors that complicated the fight against illegal export of logs and suggested ways to stamp out the illegal transactions. First; "The existing alliance between corrupt officials and unscrupulous log exporters will continue to drain the country's resources unless decisive measures were taken to break the chain," said the source. Secondly; "The advent of internet communication facilitated conclusion of business deals with foreign dealers who are less concerned with losses that the country of origin incurred," And lastly; "The negative attitude that forests and other natural resources belonged to no body is quite detrimental and should be abandoned forthwith, as corrupt officials capitalized on the assumption to continue looting the country," sources concluded. The government banned export of logs in 2004 and reaffirmed its commitment in 2006, yet different lame excuses were given to issue permits to traders who are paying insignificant amount of revenue and pocket the huge profit.

what is carbon market

Emissions trading (also known as cap and trade) is a market-based approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants.

A central authority (usually a governmental body) sets a limit or cap on the amount of a pollutant that can be emitted. The limit or cap is allocated or sold to firms in the form of emissions permits which represent the right to emit or discharge a specific volume of the specified pollutant. Firms are required to hold a number of permits (or carbon credits) equivalent to their emissions. The total number of permits cannot exceed the cap, limiting total emissions to that level. Firms that need to increase their emission permits must buy permits from those who require fewer permits The transfer of permits is referred to as a trade. In effect, the buyer is paying a charge for polluting, while the seller is being rewarded for having reduced emissions. Thus, in theory, those who can reduce emissions most cheaply will do so, achieving the pollution reduction at the lowest cost to society

Under the Kyoto Protocol, there are two main trading devices. The first, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), allows Kyoto countries to offset their emissions by investing in clean technologies in developing countries or purchasing the resultant Certificates of Emission Reduction (CERs) from such projects. The second, called Joint Implementation (JI), allows industrialized countries to do essentially the same thing, only in other industrialized countries.

Irrigation farming necessary for Kilimo Kwanza initiative`

The ‘Kilimo Kwanza’ initiative will not help pull millions of farmers eradicate poverty if there is no concerted effort to put in place irrigation farming infrastructure, according to farmers, who attendeds one-day training programme on ‘Kilimo Kwanza’ in Arusha at the weekend. They said continued reliance on rain-fed agriculture was unrealistic.

Naiman Kitomari from Kalangai Village said if relying on unpredictable rains continued, poverty eradication efforts would hardly succeed.

He explained that there was a need to construct irrigation infrastructure in all productive areas to boost agriculture. Citing his own example, Kitomari said he once borrowed money from the village’s Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (Saccos) but he was unsuccessful because he relied on unreliable rains.

Maliaki Mbesere from Mkonoo Village said rain-fed agriculture had failed to help many farmers eradicate poverty and improve their livelihoods.

He noted that climate change had aggravated the situation because rainfall trends in most cases had been unpredictable.

An Arumeru District resident, William Nulu, said: “I was forced to sell my cow to get money to settle my loan from the Saccos. This is because I failed to get enough crops to meet the costs I incurred in production.”

He explained that during the farming season, the rain was not enough and so he harvested very little.

“It is a waste of time and resources for farmers to continue relying on rain-fed agriculture,” said Nulu.

Echoing Nulu’s statement, Thomas John Laizer, from Monduli District said: “This kind of farming is no longer useful and irrigation farming should be applied, instead.”

Laizer also cited lack of proper marketing as a key challenge to the implementation of ‘Kilimo Kwanza’ in Tanzania.

“There are areas where farmers have managed to produce enough crops but marketing remains a challenge as they don’t know where to sell their produce. At the end of the day, they sell their produce at a throw-away price, making them remain in the vicious cycle of poverty,” he said.

Training facilitator from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Abdallah Msambachi, said irrigation farming and the application of high yielding inputs were key issues to ensure optimal crop production in the country.

He called on farmers to engage in irrigation farming, which had proved to be successful in other parts of the world.

Citing the 1997 agriculture and livestock policy, the official said it was clear that the policy advocated irrigation farming as an ideal solution to unpredictable rainfall.

Msambachi further said there was a need for the private sector to engage in the agricultural sector, which he said was the backbone of the country’s economy as it employed over 80 per cent of Tanzanians.

The training programme, which was organised by Arusha-based civil society organisation Hakikazi Catalyst, meant to equip small-scale farmers with modern farming skills to implement ‘Kilimo Kwanza’. Participants came from Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Manyara regions.

Serengeti hunters still missing, says Mara RPC

THE whereabouts of six people who went missing while hunting in the Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) in the past several days is still not known. But there are unconfirmed reports that the men all hailing from Gibasso village that is adjacent to the park might have been eaten by crocodiles. ''The search is still going on them and we can't say that they have been killed unless we see dead bodies'', Regional Police Commander (RPC) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Constantine Masawe told the 'Daily News' on Wednesday. He named them as Chacha Marwa Gasaya, Wang'enyi Marwa Mohere, Marwa Moseti Goyagwe, Tore Magoigwa Chiware, Marwa Sira Sira who went missing on October 31 and Mwita Marwa Makuri who went missing on October 6, according to ACP Masawe. The RPC refuted recent reports that the alleged poachers had gone to graze cows in the park. ''It is not true that they went to graze cows, they went to hunt wild animals according survivors,'' ACP Masawe said. Police in Tarime have until Wednesday been looking for the men in collaboration with their counterparts in the neighbouring Kenya, the RPC said. He described the exercise as tough without going into details. He however warned villagers residing near the world famous park to refrain from entering the park to kill animals for the purpose of getting game meat. ''I call upon people to respect the borders. There are dangerous animals there (park) and anything can happen'', the regional police chief said. Local leaders have accused relevant authorities for not doing enough to find out whether the men have been killed or not. Tarime District Commissioner (DC) Mr John Henjewele could not immediately be reached for comment. Poaching is still one of the major challenges facing conservation of in SENAPA and majority of poachers hail from Serengeti and Tarime districts followed by other districts with some villages adjacent to the park, according the park officials.

Biofuels should not be at the cost of food security

In 2007, a science journal, Scientific American, called jatropha "green gold in a shrub," and that it was a plant that "seems to offer all the benefits of biofuels without the pitfalls."

This was because the wonder tree seemed a boon for the very places with some of the highest rates of poverty and plenty of hot, dry lands: the global south, including Latin America, Africa and Asia.

It was then publicised that, among other things, the miracle tree could also stabilize and restore degraded soils.

This was followed by the frenzy of large scale jatropha farming in several countries, including China, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Malawi, and Brazil.

The major motivating factor was the myth that jatropha could thrive in the dry and degraded lands that are not suitable for food crop farming.

However, it has now been proved through scientific research that contrary to earlier expectations, the tree grows far more productively on higher quality land with more rainfall or irrigation.

In fact, experts say that when jatropha is grown in marginal conditions, farmers have inevitably ended up with marginal yields.

But if the tree is grown on fertile land, this could lead to large scale jatropha farming taking up a huge chunk of productive land thereby posing a threat to food security.

This has already happened in other countries, including India, where government foresters drained rice paddies in order to plant jatropha in the poor and mostly tribal state of Chhattisgarh.

On Mindanao, the second-largest province of the Philippine islands, protests erupted in late 2008, with indigenous leaders insisting that jatropha plantations had begun to displace needed crops of rice, corn, bananas, and root vegetables.

It is for this reason we wish to commend the government for taking a cautious approach to the development of Tanzania’s biofuel industry.

According to a research conducted in the country by two scholars from the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), at least 4 million hectares of land have so far, been requested for biofuel production in the country – especially for jatropha, sugar cane and palm oil.

We are happy that the government has taken heed of the alarm raised over wholesale lease of land for the biofuel industry in that out of the requested area, only 640,000 ha have so far been allocated, with only 100,000 ha having been granted formal rights of occupancy.

Here we are talking about investors who are proposing biofuel projects involving initial investments of up to $1bn over the next 10 to 20 years, taking up mostly village land that is not permanently settled but is used for various economic activities in coastal areas like Bagamoyo, Rufiji, Kilwa and Kisarawe districts.

We therefore, fully support the government decision to review the legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks to identify existing gaps so that it can formulate a new policy and legislation that will govern sustainable development of liquid biofuel industry in the country.

We understand that the country is currently scouting for consultants to undertake this daunting but important task. It should be done carefully because much as we need alternative energy, this cannot be at the risk of food security.

Tanzania’s fertility rate drops, says report

THE country’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has dropped slightly from 5.6 to 5.4 births per woman by May 2010 this year, the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) 2010, preliminary report conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed.

However, the TFR in the rural mainland has remained higher for about 6.1 births per woman compared to 3.7 births per woman in the urban area. Also the fertility in the mainland peaks at the age of between 20 and 25 while in the isles, it starts at the age between 25 and 29.

But in all these ages, the age specific fertility rates are substantially higher for the rural than for urban women. The greatest difference in age specific fertility rates between urban and rural women in mainland occurs at the age between 20 and 24, that is 106 births per 1,000 women.

According to NBS Director General, Dr Albina Chuwa, there has been a down trend in fertility since the early 1990s but with great fluctuations. She made the remarks at the launch of the TDHS preliminary report in Dar es Salaam on Monday.

Dr Chuwa said a change in fertility rate from 6.3 births per woman to 5.4 births per woman in a period of 20 years meaning that there is a decrease of one child, is a major decision reached by couples.

“Reproductive, child and maternal health are good indicators to the country’s social and economic development and have serious and direct implications on the social sustainability of services in the country,” Dr Chuwa remarked.

A demographer with the NBS Mr Ireneus Ruyobia said a decrease in TFR was a step and a positive sign towards achieving country’s development plans.

“With government efforts especially on family planning and investment in education much insistence being on young girls, will definitely help in lowering the TFR, thus achieving the development plans,” Mr Ruyobia said.

The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms Blandina Nyoni noted the government was committed to family planning programmes. She said it was encouraging that three tenths of all women or 29 per cent in the country are currently using some methods of contraceptives, where 24 per cent use modern methods and 5 per cent use traditional methods.

According to the TDHS report, the most commonly used modern methods among all women are injectables by 9 per cent, pills by 5 per cent and male condoms by 4 per cent.
Also among married women, about one third or 34 per cent use some methods of contraception, 27 per cent use modern methods and 7 per cent use traditional methods.

The PS observed further that report findings showing decrease of under five mortality rate by 40 per cent from 137 deaths in every 1,000 births, infant mortality from 81 deaths to 51 in every 1,000 births are very encouraging.

Some of the objectives of the TDHS 2010 are to collect high quality data on fertility levels and preferences, family planning use, reproductive, child and maternal health, nutritional status of young children and women and childhood mortality levels.

Kigamboni - New Dar City Center

Kigamboni II - Zonning Plan.wmv

kigamboni project,

Joint project to control Lake Tanganyika drainage

TANZANIA and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have agreed to undertake major rehabilitation of a gate on Lake Tanganyika to control the level of water which has been declining, thus, threatening the lives of millions of peoples of the two neighbouring countries.

Rehabilitation of the gate which was constructed before the two countries gained their independence was recommended by President Jakaya Kikwete, who expressed concern over the depletion of water in the lake that separates the countries. His recommendation was supported by DRC counterpart Joseph Kabila.

President Kabila’s decision to support strengthening of the gate was communicated to President Kikwete in Dar es Salaam on Friday by the DRC leader’s Chief Advisor, Mr Katumba Mwanke who paid courtesy call on him at the State House. Mr Mwanke told President Kikwete that the DRC leader fully agreed with his proposal to control the water level on Lake Tanganyika which is said to be fast declining.

President Kikwete met and held talks with President Kabila’s special advisor at the State House. Mr Kikwete returned from Tanga region where he was on re-election campaign trail for Idd el Fitr celebrations. On his tour of Kigoma region, President Kikwete was told of the declining water level on Lake Tanganyika following the breakdown of the gate which controls water from the Lake.

In July, this year, President Kikwete sent the Minister for Water and Irrigation, Prof Mark Mwandosya, to deliver his proposal to his DRC counterpart on the need to rescue water from the Lake. Earlier, it was suspected that the water level on Lake Tanganyika was declining due to siltation, but was later realized that the special gate built during colonial times had broken down.

The gate controls water flowing to Luguka River which empties its waters to River Congo and ensures the water level remains constant to facilitate other activities on the Lake including; transportation, fisheries and other uses by residents surrounding the Lake. Following the breakdown of the gate, water level on Lake Tanganyika reached 2.5 metres - the lowest level in 12 years since scientists started to monitor the declining level on Lake Tanganyika in 1998.

The rate of water decline on the Lake poses serious threats to people surrounding and depending on Lake Tanganyika for their livelihood as well as the economies of countries bordering the Lake. Tanzania and DRC have strengthened cooperation in protection of Lake Tanganyika’s ecosystem.

“This is an important co-operation among our two countries and it is for this reason that President Kabila has acted promptly to respond to your proposal,” Mr Manke who is also a Member of Parliament in President Kabila’s government, told President Kikwete during talks also attended by DRC Ambassador to Tanzania Mr Juma Khalfan Mpango.

Mr Kikwete, on the other hand, thanked President Kabila for his prompt response to his recommendation on co-operation of the two countries to rehabilitate the gate, stressing that Lake Tanganyika was important for the lives and economies of the millions of people of the two countries and others surrounding the Lake.

He also told the DRC leaders’ special advisor that Tanzania has already contacted the World Bank to see how it can help in rehabilitating the gate. Mr Mwanke wished Tanzania peaceful elections scheduled for October 31, this year.

Tourist firm opposed to public road through Serengeti

Singita Grumeti Reserves said yesterday that it is opposed to a public road through the Serengeti National Park, unless it is under the jurisdiction of the Tanzania National Park’s (TANAPA) and used solely for tourism purposes.

This comes barely a few days after President Jakaya Kikwete assured the public, and especially people from outside the country and environmental activists, that he himself was an activist with regard to environmental preservation and a lover of the Serengeti National Park.

The President said in his monthly address that the decision by the government to construct a road through Ngorongoro and Serengeti game parks would upset many people, especially environmental activists and wildlife lovers.

In a statement made available to this paper yesterday, Singita Grumeti Reserves said the preservation of the Serengeti National Park and the protection of the wildebeest migration route in northern Serengeti was critical, adding that Singita Grumeti Reserves has been an integral part of the conservation effort.

“Recently there have been reports that there are plans to construct a major highway running through the northern section of Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, which is home to the world-famous wildebeest and zebra migration, and Grumeti Reserves is one among those mentioned as sponsors of the road construction,” it said.

It said Singita’s mission was to support low impact, sustainable ecotourism in the Serengeti as the best way to improve the economic opportunities of Serengeti district residents. Singita has been the largest supporter of conservation and community development in the Serengeti since 2003 and is deeply committed to the people and wildlife of Tanzania.

Most recently, in May 2010, it partnered with the Tanzanian government to reintroduce the first black rhino in the Serengeti in over forty years, at a project cost of over USD5 million.

President Jakaya Kikwete recently clarified the confusion regarding government plans to construct a tarmac road from Arusha to Mara which would pass through the Sengereti National Park.

According to the statement issued yesterday, the President said construction of the tarmac road would start from Musoma to Mto wa Mbu via Magumu in Sengereti district, onward to Liliondo in Ngorongoro district.

Promote sustainable charcoal production

While environmentalists have consistently warned of the dangers of widespread use of charcoal as an energy source, millions of people especially in developing countries including Tanzania are still dependent on it.

It remains the basic means of cooking and earning a living despite the inherent threat to forest resources and environmental degradation.

Available statistics show that Africa is the most affected by the menace. The continent is said to be losing its forest cover twice as fast as the rest of the world, according to a recent United Nations report.

The report says four million hectares of forests in Africa are felled each year, with the result that while the continent originally boasted seven million square kilometres of forests, a third of that has now been lost, mostly to charcoal trade.

Tanzania too is among countries that are reported to be endangered. Recent studies reveal shocking findings that the country’s overall forest cover could disappear in about ten to 16 decades if the current deforestation trend is not curbed.

The studies, undertaken separately by the Conservation International – a US non-profit organisation and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), show respectively that 2,300 and 4,200 square kilometres of forests in Tanzania are being destroyed annually.

It is for this reason that we praise the move by Barclays Bank Tanzania Limited to inject 1.5bn/- in the Dar es Salaam Charcoal Project (DCP), a three year undertaking aimed at educating local people on how to cut down deforestation through tree planting and sustainable charcoal production.

According to the bank’s Head of Community Relations, Moni Msemo, the project will cover 12 villages of Kisarawe and Rufiji Districts in Coast regions which are major suppliers of charcoal to the country’s biggest charcoal consuming metropolitan, Dar es Salaam.

We believe that by targeting Dar es Salaam, the project’s success would have a huge impact on the national environment conservation efforts.

While the government has been undertaking annual tree planting campaigns in the country as well as sensitising the people on the dangers of deforestation, the move by Barclays Bank is a shining example of public-private partnership worth emulation.

We appeal to other private institutions to take a leaf from the Dar project and set up similar projects in other parts of the country so that charcoal production using bio-energy technology should not only help cut deforestation but also offer employment to the many jobless youths.

What Tanzanians ought to bear in mind is that fending off environmental conservation is a war that requires full mass participation.

The production of charcoal and the use of it as fuel, and the burning of forests to clear land for agricultural development or other purposes are activities responsible for the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, leading to global warming. This may result in constant drought, crop failure, flooding, water shortage and the emergence of refugees fleeing disaster areas.

Therefore sustainable production of charcoal is one of the ways of saving ourselves from disaster.

This war can only be won through massive tree planting and protecting forests which absorb carbon dioxide and thus prevent global warming.

100 million years fossil found in Tanzania

FOSSIL remains of an ancient crocodile with cat-like features that feasted on insects and other small animals have been recovered from a riverbank in south-western Tanzania.

The short, agile creature lived 105 million years ago, alongside dinosaurs, on a landscape dominated by a large river system and vast floodplains rich with vegetation.The unusual creature is changing the picture of animal life at 100 million years ago in what is now sub-Saharan Africa.

The animal had a small, broad skull, a robust lower jaw and bony protective plates on its back and tail.

Unlike modern crocodiles, it had fewer armoured plates on its body, making it more nimble.

Fossil hunters discovered a complete skeleton of the animal in red sandstone sediments while working along a riverbank in what is now the Rukwa Rift Basin in Tanzania.

Because the specimen was encased in rock with its jaws tightly clamped shut, the team used an X-ray scanner to reveal details of the skull and dentition.

The most curious feature of the animal was its teeth, which were more like those of a mammal than a reptile. While the teeth of modern crocodiles tend to be cone-shaped and pointed at the end to seize and tear prey, the ancient crocodile had a variety, including primitive canines, premolars and molars.

"Once we were able to get a close look at the teeth, we knew we had something new and very exciting," said Patrick O'Connor at Ohio University.

The new species has been named Pakasuchus kapilimai, where Paka means cat in Kiswahili, and suchus comes from the Greek for crocodile. The latter part of the name, kapilimai, honours a late researcher, Saidi Kapilimai, at the University of Dar es Salaam, who led the project.

The animal lived at a time when the southern supercontinent of Gondwana was breaking up into Africa, India, Australia, Madagascar and Antarctica.

Relatively few mammals of a similar age have been uncovered from this part of the world, and it is possible that Pakasuchus occupied a mammalian niche in the Gondwana ecosystem during the period.

The creature is not a close relative of modern crocodiles, but belonged to a successful sidebranch of the lineage, according to details published in the journal Nature. Previous fossil finds show that ancient crocodiles were once more varied in shape and size than those alive today.

Collaborators on the study include Jesuit Temba of the Tanzanian Antiquities Unit, Nancy Stevens and Ryan Ridgely of Ohio University; Joseph Sertich of Stony Brook University; Eric Roberts of James Cook University; Michael Gottfried of Michigan State University; Tobin Hieronymus of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine; Zubair Jinnah of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and Sifa Ngasala of Michigan State University and the University of Dar es Salaam.

Villager in Tarime fights off elephant with knife

AN elephant in Nyamwaga Ward in Tarime District, Mara Region has injured a resident who fought it off with a knife in a fierce battle.

The tusker attacked Gemsonko Machugu (56) in the wee hours of the morning when he was on his way to the farm. Mr Machugu has been admitted to the hospital after the horrendous spectacle.

He fought with the elephant and freed himself by stabbing the furious beast with a knife, forcing it to leave him alone and move away. Speaking to Journalists at Tarime District Hospital on Friday, Mr Machugu said that he (Machugu) was injured by the elephant on his leg.

“This is the sixth time I have been attacked by elephants in my farm and I always managed to free myself,” he said, adding that at one time he broke an elephant’s leg in his farm.

Mr Machugu said that the latest sad incident occurred last Wednesday at 6 am when he met with a group of elephants. But when he tried to run away, one of them chased and attacked him, but he stabbed the tusker with a knife after it hurt him on one leg.

“It threw me up with it tusks. When I fell to the ground, it stepped on my leg. Then I remembered that I was carrying a knife. I pulled out the knife and stabbed it several times on its leg, and it moved off me and left,” Machugu said.

The Medical Officer of Tarime District, Dr Samson Charles, said that Mr Machugu was seriously injured on his leg, but his condition was improving.

According to an eye-witness, a group of elephants from Serengeti National Park always invaded villages in Tarime District in search of green pastures on the villagers’ farms.

Climate change 'under-reported'

THE United Nations Education and Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Tanzania, in collaboration with the National Environment Management Council (NEMC), Vice President's Office (VPO), and the media is planning to introduce a uniform curriculum on how to address climate change problems.

The Programme Officer for Communication and Information for Tanzania, The Commoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles, Mr Al- Amin Yusuph, said this in Mwanza on Sunday at the end of a three-day stakeholders consultation workshop which was held here.

Mr Yusuph said that the workshop was hosted by Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) where media stakeholders assessed the curricula of mainstream journalism schools.

They also reviewed the aspect of continuing professional development for in-service journalists in professional teaching and training about environmental matters.

''This initiative of assessing the teaching of environmental and climate change to journalists and other media professionals is part of the United Nations Joint Programme in Environment.
''It is in the eleven Joint Programme which is managed by the United Nations system in
Tanzania, in collaboration with the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania,'' he said.

He said that the UN recognizes the importance of journalists in the initiative.

''Journalists and other media stakeholders are crucial in educating citizens for development, in particular in the area of environment and climate change issues,'' he said.

''The UN also recognizes the importance of environmental conservation for sustainable development. And for that purpose building the capacity of journalists is seen as an important aspect of the UN Joint Programme in environment,'' he added.

Mr Yusuph said the objectives of the proposed workshop are among other initiative that are aimed at assessing the need for enlightening journalists on environment and climate change reporting in mass communication schools.

''This includes the assessment of curriculums,'' he said.

He also mentioned other objectives as collecting of feedback from stakeholders on the strength of environment and climate change reporting in Tanzania.

''Media stakeholders will be able to identify areas of cooperation amongst stakeholders, journalists and communication schools in improving the status of environment teaching and reporting in Tanzania,'' he said.

''A standard curriculum can be used by Journalism schools to create a minimum standard setting instrument,'' he noted adding that the project intends to use 30m/-.

The stakeholders identified areas of improvement in the teaching of environmental journalism.

Some of the challenges identified include, the low depth of the teaching of environmental journalism, the lack of continuing professional development for in-service journalists and the low reporting of environment issues in the media houses.

marinereserves

The Coastal Forest Ecoregion

The Coastal Forests of Tanzania are a part of the Eastern Africa Coastal Forests Ecoregion according to WWF. This ecoregion extends across six countries from southern Somalia to Mozambique. The ecoregion includes forest patches found on the islands of Unguja, Pemba, and Mafia.

The Coastal forests are characterized by a mosaic of vegetation types including evergreen forest, brachystegia woodland, scrub forest and dry forest. Mangrove forests are not considered to be Coastal Forest in this definition. Coastal Forests are distinct from the forests of the Eastern Arc in terms of climate, elevation, and dominant plant species.

In Tanzania, there are 66 coastal forest patches covering an area of 700 sq. km. While the highest levels of biodiversity are found in the closed canopy forest, this only makes up about 1% of the total area of the Coastal Forest Mosaic. Notwithstanding the small area covered by these forests, they retain high numbers of endemic plant and animal species: 554 plant, five bird, three mammal , 24 reptile, five amphibian, 86 mollusc and 75 butterfly.

MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEMS IN TANZANIA

A REVIEW OF MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Ruzika N. Muheto, Fadhila H. Khatibu and James. O. Ngana (Editors)

Tanzania has many mountain ranges and hills apart from Kilimanjaro, which provide several ecological and social services that are key to the sustainability of livelihoods of the majority of Tanzania’s population, either directly or indirectly. Examples include the Eastern Arc Mountain ranges that are sources of water for abounding wildlife downstream, agriculture and domestic use to more than half of the population of Tanzania. Apart from water, other mountain services include forest production (timber and non-timber) that in turn provides carbon sequestration services as well as harbouring rich biodiversity and medicinal plants.


Realising the importance of these mountain ecosystems, and in line with the implementation of the Environmental Management Act No. 20 of 2004, the National Environment Management Council commissioned a study on rapid assessment of selected mountain ecosystems with the following objectives: i) to establish an overall picture of their status, ii) to identify the core ecosystem services provided to the surrounding communities, iii) to identify possible pressures that cause destruction, iv) to document available intervention measures, and v) to propose measures to achieve sustainable utilisation of these resources. Among other things, the study serves to remind the current generation that future generations also deserve to benefit from the services of these ecosystems.

The study involved assessment of five mountain ecosystems: Nguru (representing the Eastern Arc Mountains), Rungwe (representing the Southern Highlands and related mountain ranges), Kasulu (representing the Albertine Rift Mountains in the west), Chenene (representing the central part of the country) and Monduli (representing the northern volcanic mountains). The assessment process involved literature review, collection of information from the respective Districts, interviews with District officials and field visits. For each mountain ecosystem, focus group interviews and meetings were held with communities from three villages that directly depend on the services from that particular ecosystem. Other participatory assessment tools (transect walks and field observations) were also used.

Key findings are summarised in the following categories: ecosystem status and trends, ecosystem services, key drivers of change, threats, intervention measures undertaken and their constraints.

The general status and trend show that in all mountain ecosystems, ecological and other services provided by these mountain ecosystems are under heavy pressure as they are continuosly being degraded through various human activities. Environmental degradation in turn, seems to be influencing the local rainfall pattern where longer dry seasons are now being experienced in areas such as Nguru and in the northern volcanic mountain system. In some cases environmental degradation has caused changes in vegetation types, where those found in warmer climates are currently replacing those found in cooler climates.

The survey has shown that there are common ecosystem services in all the assessed mountains which include water resources, biodiversity values (flora and fauna), forest products and medicinal plants. The extent of local community dependence on these resources is also dependent on the circumstances of the particular ecosystem.

However, there are special types of ecological services that are obtained only in certain mountain ecosystems. For example, Nguru and Rungwe mountain ranges harbour a number of endemic plant and mammalian species and destruction of such ecosystems may lead to complete loss of such species, while communities and certain bird species around Chenene hills depend on specific grass species known as Ihung’o and Ng’ana as sources of food during drought. Equally important are the different medicinal plants obtained from different ecosystems.

It has been observed that there are both direct as well as indirect drivers of change. The direct drivers are those associated with land use e.g. shifting cultivation, shortage of land, livestock grazing, bush fires, illegal logging, charcoal making and climate change. Indirect drivers of change include population increase resulting in resource use conflicts, poor village planning, poor conservation measures e.g. around refugee camps, and market forces for forest products.

The main threats facing mountain ecosystems include poor land use practices, bush fires, encroachment into the forest reserves especially those with catchment values, livestock population grazing in limited area and consequently leading to uncontrolled, damaging grazing practices, illegal poaching and discriminate harvesting of forest products such as timber, charcoal and poles.

Poor planning also brings about negative impacts to the ecosystems. For example, planting of the exotic species Pinus patula, as observed in the Rungwe Mountains, threatens the existence of the indigenous forest species. Weak enforcement of existing laws and by-laws was also found to contribute to the failure of invested conservation efforts.

Lack of clear demarcations of forest reserves in the mountain ecosystems was also seen as a threat contributing negatively to the survival of these ecosystems. Inadequate participation by the surrounding communities in different conservation efforts, possibly due to lack of awareness, is yet another problem.

It has also been noted that a number of effective actions have been undertaken towards the management of the mountain ecosystems, including:
1 Involvement of village environmental committees, especially those that are active in the implementation of the environmental by-laws.
2 Gazetting certain critical mountain ecosystems as forest reserves and national parks, e.g. Chenene Hills Forests, Udzungwa and Kilimanjaro Mountain Forests and the Kitulo Plateau natural vegetation.
3 Promoting awareness campaigns through Government and Civil Society Organisations.
4 Practising participatory Forest Management as demonstrated in some of the Eastern Arc Mountains.

Observed constraints inhibiting effective implementation measures include inadequate allocation of financial and human resources to the District Councils, weak capacity by the Village Environmental Committees to enforce by-laws, little awareness and education on environmental conservation, some weakness in policy focus on how conservation activities are done e.g. some NGOs operate in the refugee camps without taking any due notice of the surrounding local communities.

Mountain ecosystems are sources of livelihoods of human population and the biodiversity on earth. In order to sustain these ecosystems the various interventions that have been taken should be upheld and the following actions revitalised:

1. Education and awareness should be enhanced at all levels particularly in communities and institutions living within the ecosystems;
2. Human, financial and technological capacity building should be enhanced in order to match current and future management requirements;
3. Research including inventories and ecosystem boundary demarcation should be undertaken, thus updating the missing scientific information on mountain ecosystems;
4. Alternative income generating activities should be sought for livelihoods in order to reduce pressure on these ecosystems;
5. Alternative sources of energy should be sought to offset the heavy pressure on energy demand from both rural and urban dwellers;
6. Enforcement of existing laws should be revitalised through promotion of good governance;
7. Participation of stakeholders should be revitalised through empowerment and facilitation, particularly the local environmental committees and grassroots institutions; and
8. Best practices, such as sustainable land use management (SLUM) should be supported and promoted in all ecosystems for sustainable livelihoods.

NILE BASIN NATIONS TO HOLD EXTRAORDINARY SESSION ON ENTEBE DEAL

Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) countries agreed on Sunday to hold an extraordinary session in Nairobi, Kenya, for talks aimed at finding a solution to disagreements sparked by the signing of a new agreement by five water source nations seeking to maximize use of the basin resources.

Upstream countries strongly argue that Egypt and Sudan have kept an unfair water sharing advantage over other Nile source countries including Ethiopia which contributes over 80 per cent of the total waters to the basin.

Last month, four upstream states signed a cooperative framework deal, a move which strongly Egypt and Sudan have remained opposed.

Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania signed the agreement. Kenya appended a signature a few days later to become the fifth signatory. Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also expected to sign but have not yet done so.

In a meeting in Addis on Sunday, Sudan decided to cease cooperation with Nile Basin Initiative countries and requested them to freeze its membership until the current dispute over the agreement signed by the Nile source countries is resolved, the Chinese news agency Xinhua has reported.

"Sudan has affirmed that signing of the framework agreement by five countries is violating the basic principles upon which the Nile Basin Initiative was established," Sudanese minister of irrigation Kamal Ali Mohamed,, who was in Addis Ababa, told Xinhua by telephone.

"Sudan sees that continuation in activities of the Nile basin, after five countries have unilaterally signed a framework agreement, contradicts the basic law and principles for dealing with the Nile Basin countries where it is stipulated that decisions should be taken unanimously," he added.

In the meantime, the Sudanese minister said that the meeting of the Nile Basin countries' irrigation ministers, being held in Addis Ababa, has unanimously agreed on a proposal by Sudan, with the support of Egypt, to hold an extraordinary meeting for all the Nile basin ministers.

Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya on Sunday reiterated that they would not backtrack from the framework agreement which they signed on May 2010 on the Nile water sharing in the absence of Sudan and Egypt.

NBI is a partnership of the Nile Basin Countries which includes Burundi, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Eritrea enters as an observer nation. The partnership was established to achieve sustainable socio-economic development through equitable utilisation of and the benefits from the common Nile Basin water resources.

NBI provides a unique forum for these countries to move forward a cooperative process to realise tangible benefits in the Basin and build a solid foundation of trust and confidence.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting in Addis Ababa on Sunday, Ethiopia Water Resources minister Asfaw Dingamo, said NBI member countries should further strengthen efforts to maintain the long-term vision of the Initiative.

“We need to demonstrate to the world now, as we have done before, that despite our disagreements we are capable of working together, maintaining the long-term vision. We have to demonstrate to the world that we are still focused on addressing our long-term concerns: eradicating poverty and hunger from our region, jointly and effectively responding to climate change, reversing environmental degradation, turning our region into a zone of peace, tranquility and economic growth and development,” the minister said.

“Let us give chance to reason, justice and fairness to provide us the foundation for building an enduring partnership and cooperation of riparians along the 7,000km of our Great Nile,” he added.

Speaking on his part, Teshome Toga, Ethiopian Parliament Speaker, said Nile cannot be a reason for disunity, rather it should be an opportunity to deepening cooperation and integration among Nile Basin countries.

The Speaker said the Nile riparian countries have no alternative other than cooperating among themselves.

He said geography, history and culture underscore the bond between the peoples of the region.

Egypt which is the current Chair of the Nile Council of Ministers, will hand over the chairmanship to Ethiopia effective this month, while DR Congo currently holding the position of Executive Director of the NBI Secretariat will hand it over to Egypt in September this year. It is a tradition within NBI to rotate the two positions among member states in alphabetical order whereas the position of Executive Director rotates every two years.

"The signed (agreement) can't be unsigned," Ethiopian minister for water resources Asfaw Dingamo, told reporters. "But we hope to reach a consensus and I hope it will be very soon."

The five signatories have given the other Nile Basin countries -- Egypt, Sudan, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- one year to join the pact.

Stretching more than 6,600km (4,100 miles) from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean, the Nile is a vital water and energy source for the nine countries through which it flows.

Sudanese water minister Kamal Ali Mohamed said his country would now stop cooperating with the NBI because the agreement raised legal issues.

The statement drew immediate fire from Asfaw who said the Sudanese had not revealed their intention to freeze cooperation during the two-day meeting.

For his part, Egypt's Water Resources and Irrigation minister Mohamed Nasreddin Allam, told Reuters that a meeting to discuss the Nile agreement would be held in Nairobi between September and November. He did not give a precise date.

The official Egyptian news agency MENA said the meeting would be held but did not give more details. It said the other states had said they "understood Egypt and Sudan's position ... and based on this an exceptional ministerial ... will be held to decide how to move forward in a matter that serves all Nile Basin states."

Egypt, almost totally dependent on the Nile and already threatened by climate change, is closely watching hydroelectric dam construction in East Africa.

"Ask the Egyptians to leave their culture and go and live in the desert because (you) need to take this water to add it to other countries? No," Allam said.

Under the original pact Egypt, which faces possible water shortages by 2017, is entitled to 55.5 billion cubic metres a year, the lion's share of the Nile's total flow of around 84 billion cubic metres.

Some 85 percent of the Nile's waters originate from Ethiopia and the Lake Basin is estimated to harbour more than half of Kenya's surface water resources.

Upstream countries say they are "tired of first getting permission from Egypt before using river Nile water for any development project like irrigation", as required by a treaty signed during the colonial era between Egypt and Britain in 1929.The new agreement, once effective, is designed to replace the Nile Basin Initiative.

It should be noted that an agreement signed in 1929 between Egypt and Great Britain, which represented its African colonies along the river, gave Egypt veto power over upstream projects.

Another agreement signed in 1959 between Egypt and Sudan allowed Egypt alone to use 55.5 billion cubic meters (87 per cent of the Nile’s flow) and Sudan 18.5 cubic metres each year.

Ethiopia, the biggest water contributor to the Nile basin, and the rest of the riparian countries has been left out.

According to Report from the Ministry of Water Resources, Ethiopia, with an area of 1.08 million square kilometers, has twelve river basins with a mean annual flow of roughly 120.22 billion cubic meters of water.

Although the country is known as the water tower of Africa, the availability of water and the water resources potential in the eastern and western parts of the country is markedly different.