Campaign

SERENGETI CAMPAIGN

The Government of Tanzania (GoT) propose to construct a road across the Serengeti National Park. It will directly traverse the Wildebeest Migration route and is part of a bigger plan to connect the proposed new port at Tanga to Musoma on Lake Victoria via Arusha and Lake Natron’s shores. The road is funded by the GoT and is estimated to cost US$ 220 million for the section Serengeti to Musoma. They have contracted an Indian Company and a Tanzania company to jointly undertake an Environment and Social Impact Assessment, which we believe is to be completed before the end of the year. If the project is given a green light then construction is likely to start at the beginning of 2012.

WCST is concerned that the road will negatively affect biodiversity through increased road kills of large mammals and attendant scavengers, including vultures, which are facing extreme pressure outside Protected Areas. The project will critically affect the mammals, and could potentially disrupt the world famous Wildebeest migration between Serengeti and Maasai Mara in Kenya. It could also increase the risk of poaching.

We therefore all appreciate the urgent need to advocate for the following key messages:

There is an alternative route which follows the Southern Perimeter of the Park and is likely to economically benefit more people
The Tanzanian Government must ensure that the EIA process is participatory and that all stakeholders (locally, regionally and internationally) can input to the process
Support the World Heritage Convention to investigate the case further and recommend that the site is included in the List of Sites in Danger
Serengeti National Park is a transboundary resource and therefore all concerned stakeholders need to be involved in any decisions and actions

LAKE NATRON CAMPAIGN

Serengeti Highway not good for LakeNatron

Focus is now squarely on Lake Natron, following Tanzania Government’s recent statement that the proposed highway through the Serengeti will not be paved. Conservation organizations and local communities now fear that construction of the highway could have detrimental effects on the ecology of Lake Natron and could be used as an incentive to revive plans to build a soda ash plant at Lake Natron.

Victoria Ferdinand is the Acting CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (BirdLife in Tanzania). She said: “While we applaud the Government for scaling down its intentions for the Highway we call for a holistic look at the Northern Transport Corridor” “Development is required, but we must not destroy Lake Natron and Serengeti, two unique jewels that we have as a country.”

The Government of Tanzania proposed a 53-kilometre long commercial highway to run East-West through the Serengeti; Tanzania’s oldest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Conservation organisations raised concerns that this would interfere with ecological processes of the Park, including mass migration of the wildebeest and other ungulates.

The announcement that the road through the park will not be tarmacked was made by the Tanzanian Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism at the 35^th annual session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris in June 2011.

While making the announcement, the Minister said the 117 km stretch from Mto wa Mbu through Lake Natron to Loliondo will be fully tarmacked. While the road would make the area more accessible for the local community, it is critically important to proceed with great caution.

Lake Natron is the most important breeding site for Lesser Flamingos in Eastern Africa. This region has 1.5-2.5 million birds - which constitute 75% of the global population - and they are all hatched at Lake Natron. Since 2006, plans have been underway to construct a soda ash plant at the Lake but it faced strong opposition from within Tanzania and globally.

Mr Lota Melamari, the former CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (BirdLife in Tanzania) said: “The road through Lake Natron must progress in a manner that does not interfere with this sensitive environment, especially the Lesser Flamingos, which are a major tourist attraction. If we destroy Lake Natron, we interfere with three-quarters of the global population of Lesser Flamingos”

There are also fears that opening up Lake Natron through to Loliondo could be used as a justification to revive plans to build a soda ash plant at Lake Natron.

Sarah Sanders of the Royal Society of Protection of Birds said the entire Northern Transport Corridor should be subjected to more detailed assessment. “Plans to open up the North through a network of roads and a railway should be subjected to a Strategic Environmental Assessment” she said.

Dr Julius Arinaitwe, BirdLife International’s Regional Director for Africa said Tanzania has always been a leader and pace-setter of conservation in Africa. “Tanzania should strive not to lose this position. Lake Natron and Serengeti should be protected for the sustainable flow of benefits for this and future generations”