Tanzania: Drought threatens Serengeti

The Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Environment), Dr Batilda Burian, told the Daily News over the telephone yesterday that the situation also threatens both human and animals survival in those areas.

The government is aware of the alarming situation in the area this is yet another vivid example of the effects of climatic change. We are determined to take measures to check the speed of destruction, she said.

A survey conducted by the American Museum of Natural History last month warned that the catastrophic Maasai Emutai (meaning to wipe out), which occurred between 1897 and 1898, in which there were massive deaths of wildlife, livestock and people in the area could be in the making.

The study, Endangered Species Research, says the lives of the more than one million animals are now threatened.We are facing the problem with authorities in the area as they are reluctant in taking measures against the Mau Forest reserve invaders which is the rivers source.

I urge them to stay warned as the government would not tolerate such kind of politics, said Dr Burian. She also warned the Masai pastoralists living in the river basins to stay clear of the forest, noting that they were abusing the constitutional freedom of movement by intruding forest reserves.

She said that reports from the meteorological centre predicts that Nothern parts of the country where the river is located may not get enough rains this year, raising more concerns on the matter.

She said procedures were underway to prepare documentaries that will be broadcast in local media to address the problem as a way of raising awareness.

The river also drains into Lake Victoria, having covered a distance of 395 km through the migratory routes of wildebeest in the Maasai Mara and Serengeti. The situation also threatens the Kenyan Lake Nakuru, home to the world famous flamingo population as the two share the source.

Daily News