Leaders in Tanzania linked to destruction of the environment

Alfred Lasteck, BBC News

The Tanzanian government has said that there are some leaders in the country for their personal interests who are contributing to the destruction of the environment including water sources and causing rivers to dry up.

In addition, it has been stated that 12 families of leaders including ministers, politicians and judges are accused of being involved in the destruction of the water sources of the Ruaha Mkumu River located in the highlands of southern Tanzania.

The government’s statement was made yesterday in Iringa region by the Vice President of Tanzania, Dr. Philip Mpango when he attended the Conference of Editors and Stakeholders of Conservation, Environment and Water Resources Management.

Dr Mpango said, “There are some leaders for personal interests, they contribute a lot to the destruction of the environment. I don’t believe our poor farmers, breeders are the ones who are destroying the environment. We must save all our rivers, especially strategic rivers like Ruaha, leaders like this are not good for us.”

He added, “I am wondering in the reserve, do the more than 3,000 cows belong to the poor breeder or do the large ‘combine harvest’ belong to the farmers I know?” He said and added that due to the damage, “the environment is now taking revenge and we have pay for our violence.”

Journalists investigate

At the conference, the Chairman of the Tanzania Editors’ Forum (TEF), Deodatus Balile, has advised the government to take action to remove the Usangu Ranch which is located in the wetland that feeds the Ruaha Mkumu River along with building an embankment in the Ngiliamu area to save the river from drought.

“We are doing investigative news and we have found out that Usangu Ranch is owned by 12 families, there are judges, there are MPs, there are ministers and I will hand over the names to you so that appropriate measures are taken in the interest of the nation,” said Balile who is also a senior reporter for Investigative News.

Activists want action to be taken

Environmentalists also point out that urgent measures are needed to save water sources and the environment.

Habib Mchange, who is an environmental activist, told the BBC that urgent measures are needed and that they will not remain silent when they see the environment being damaged.

Mchange has said, it is more than 130 days that the Ruaha River does not flow.

“Today the Ruaha Mkumu River has more than 130 days without flowing water, and if you go to the reserve you will be sad to see hippos fighting for sand and not water due to the destruction of the environment, ” explains Mchange.

Mchange says through the National Environment Report, 16 percent of Tanzania’s land is desert while 63 percent has been destroyed.

He explains that it is not only the Ruaha river that is facing these challenges, but even the Malagarasi, Ruvu, Ruvuma and many others are going through the same situation and that if urgent measures are not taken, the situation will get worse.

What has caused the river Ruaha to dry up?

The Main Ruaha River has dried up from its sources meaning the Ihefu and Usangu Valleys have been destroyed.

Conservationists explain that human activities such as agriculture and animal husbandry are the cause for the land in the same valley to deteriorate.

They say the massive diversion of water has led to the drying up of the Main Ruaha River, which is relied on in the Ruaha National Park and is needed to generate electricity at dams including Mtera, Kidatu and Mwalimu Nyerere (the largest electricity project in Tanzania).

How extensive is the damage?

The Assistant Conservation Commissioner and Head of the Ruaha National Park, Godwell Ole Meing’ataki says the Ruaha River used to flow all year round in the past, but from the 90s it started to show signs of drying up.

“The survival of the nation depends on the existence of the Ruaha River. Ihefu is the source of the Great Ruaha River, from the 90s until now the size of the Ihefu area is shrinking and unable to collect water for the Great Ruaha River, and the way it shrinks the Great Ruaha River is being affected,” the Commissioner told the BBC and added; “In 1985, there were 14,000 hectares of irrigated agriculture in the Ihefu valley, in 1998, irrigated agriculture reached 24,000 hectares, in 2013, they reached 115,000 hectares, water is mostly directed to farms. As we speak, Ruaha has dried up for more than 130 days, the river does not give water even though there has been a little rain.”

What steps are being taken by the Tanzanian government?

The Vice President, Dr. Philip Mpango said that when he ventured into the war, he knew it was not an easy war, but he was determined to win the war.

He said, “The names of the 12 families mentioned will be handed over to me and since this country is governed by justice and the law, we will go to work on them to give justice.”

He also instructed the country’s watershed officials to start taking action against all those who invaded conservation areas including those who built walls on the banks of the Ruaha Mkumu River. At the same time, he ordered that all the permits for those doing activities in the valley be delivered.

In addition to all this, he also ordered an evaluation of the land use that he ordered to deal with the effects of environmental damage in the country.

In addition, he ordered the speedy completion of the work of demarcating Ruaha.

What is the importance of Ruaha River for Tanzania?

The river with a length of 475 kilometers starts from Mount Kipengere in Makete district in Njombe region, pouring water in Usangu wetland in Mbarali district in Mbeya region through Runapa to Rufiji River.

This river accounts for 22 percent of the water in the Rufiji Valley, with more than 39 species of fish and other aquatic creatures including crocodiles and hippos.

This person is important because he is the one who gives life to the ecology of the Ruaha reserve as well as being the source of electricity production at the Mtera, Kidatu and Mwalimu Nyerere dams.

With that logic, the drying up of the river will affect the national income from tourism due to the Ruaha reserve not having a solid conservation.

It will also affect the economic growth of individuals and the nation due to the lack of reliable electricity as many economic activities depend on the energy that comes from water.