Tanzania pressing ahead with Serengeti Highway and Lake Natron soda plant
07/04/2011 12:00:15
The World Bank will help with a southern route avoiding the Serengeti. © NABU International.
Latest reports point to Indian industrial interests funding destructive developmentApril 2011. Despite the German government offering to fund a study into an alternative route for the Serengeti Highway, the Tanzanian Government seems to be pressing ahead with its plans, as well as fast tracking the development of the soda ash plant at Lake Natron, the only breeding site for Greater flamingo in East Africa.
In 2 East Africa suggests that the Serengeti Highway is being funded by industrial cash rather than the need to connect some people to Tanzania's road system. They speculate that "This confirms a long harboured and long suggested suspicion that the construction of the equally controversial highway through the Serengeti is primarily motivated and driven by industrial and mining considerations, and not as conveniently floated ‘in the interest of the people', unless the financial interest of and financial considerations for a ‘few people' can meet that standard." (Read the full article here)
Germany offers to fund alternative study
Germany's Federal Minister for Development Dirk Niebel announced that Germany would be willing to finance a study on alternative ways of connecting areas bordering the Serengeti in the north to the existing road network without crossing the Serengeti. Tanzania's President Kikwete called this connection of rural areas as one of the main reasons why the controversial highway is needed. In addition, Niebel reaffirmed willingness to jointly finance an international feasibility study for an alternative southern bypass for the national park. Since this alternative routing would not only be cheaper but also connect many more Tanzanians to a good road network.
Alternatives ignored in assessment
So far, Tanzania has not been responsive to the requests of the donor community as well as of environmental protection organizations to consider alternatives to the envisaged route in the north. "The draft of the environmental impact assessment, which is now available, is completely inadequate," said Frankfurt Zoological Society Executive Director Christof Schenck. The authors come to the conclusion that the northern route would be the best, without having ever considered alternatives. In addition, the study had in no way thought through the environmental, economic as well as social consequences of that route.
Self contradictory
"The study also contradicts itself," said Schenck, "one comes to the conclusion that the road would boost tourism and at the same time, which tourism would be the road's big loser." Tourism will, however, play an increasingly important role for Africa's development and the value of pristine natural areas will increase more in the future.
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Lake Natron is the only breeding site for Greater
flamingo in East Africa. |
Since Tanzania in May of 2010 announced wanting to build a road for freight and long-distance traffic through the Serengeti National Park, the Tanzanian government experienced a storm of protest against the project. It seems undeterred and convinced, however, that the road will have no negative impact on the national park and its wildlife.
Lake Natron
Tanzania's President Kikwete has said that this plant must go ahead. The plant, to be built and run by the huge Indian industrial firm Tata, will extract 500,000 tonnes of soda ash every year. The works will include a series of pipes across the lake and considerable infrastructure on the shoreline, but the Tanzanian Government does not believe this will impact on flamingo breeding.
Comment on the location and tell us what you saw there
I think that the construction phase alone is certainly going to devastate the lake, churning up the sediment and therefore destroying the food sources for the flamingos and their nesting areas. Pollutants from the equipment are also going to effect the water. The construction of the highway with the amount of people and equipment is going to upset the environment by this intrusion. I would think that the govenment will have shoot to kill orders on wildlife as this highway is being built.
Posted by: tina sands webb | 13 May 2011 15:01:07
Imagine living in a world so backward it is like 300 years ago, before Little House on the prairie. Well, the friendly Tanzanians below Lake Victoria, have little, little in the way of anything, no automation, electric and water cut off daily for hours and sometimes days. Progress in terms of a road, could help the people, who still walk, ride bike to do anything. Only the better off tourist trade folks, have land rovers. The fact is the land is exploited for our temperment, not the better of its citizens.
Posted by: MamaK | 23 Apr 2011 02:13:28
Posted by: MamaK | 23 Apr 2011 02:09:29
My heart was shocked as i read the article, i cant believe if the government of Tanzania rejected the E.I.A (Environment Impact Assessment) report. It seems the Tanzanian government has nothing to do with scientists especially ecologists. I cant understand and even don't want to believe about the ongoing scenario. What government is this?????????????? why do they want to conceal the truth????? It seems there is a hidden agenda.......................... But lets shout together until they understand the scientific and ecological facts.
Shimba _Tanzania
Posted by: shimba moses | 16 Apr 2011 03:06:03
The Serengeti is home to the largest terrestrial mass migration on earth, but for how much longer?
To help us prevent the situation depicted in the photomontage above, please sign NABU International's petition:
www.change.org/petitions/justice-for-tanzania-means-no-serengeti-highway
Thank you!
Posted by: Dr Barbara Maas | 11 Apr 2011 10:30:27
Posted by: C Decker | 11 Apr 2011 06:21:00
A non-profit established to protect the Serengeti and stop the highway called Serengeti Watch is working hard on raising awareness and is circulating petitions about these projects.
The website is www.savetheserengeti.org
and the Facebook profile is "Stop the Serengeti Highway"
I urge you to visit the website and join Serengeti Watch and to go to the Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/pages/STOP-THE-SERENGETI-HIGHWAY/125601617471610
Posted by: C Decker | 11 Apr 2011 06:20:06
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Say-NO-to-Serengeti-Highway-and-Lake-Natron-soda-plant/122278257849603
Posted by: symon | 10 Apr 2011 00:36:46
is there a petition against this that we can all access?
Posted by: symon | 10 Apr 2011 00:19:17
It seems obvious that the Tanzania Government is going to receive a lot of money from India if this proposed Soda ash factory goes ahead. They unfortunately are like a horse wearing blinkers as they can only see the short term benefits as if this road that would cut the Serengeti into two goes ahead the government will loose out in the long run. The hundreds of thousand tourists that presently visit Tanzania to witness the annual migration and the amazing array of both wild animals and birds, will dramaticaly decrease inline with there dissapearance. This would in turn cause extreme hardship to the local inhabitants who are presently relying on income from working in tourist generated activities. Without this income the government will have to subsidise the thousands of people who will be put out of work.
Posted by: colin guest | 09 Apr 2011 08:29:58
Last December I was lucky enough to spend a month in Tanzania. The highlight of my trip was my visit to the prestine Lake Natron. I actually cried, because I found it one of the most beautiful places I've visited on this earth. The sight of uncountless Greater flamingoes on a tranquil lake, mirroring the sky was more than breaktaking - iThe fact that we had to travel for several hours on rough, unmade roads made it all the better for me. We climbed El Donyolangai, the largest active volcano in Tanzania, which is situated right next to the lake. The view from the top was amazing. It's one of the few, unspoilt natural places I've visited outside a national park. However, if making it into a national park and charging hefty park fees to visit it saves it from development - this must be done and quickly. The world is already full of pollution churning factories, eventually this lakes value as a place of unspoilt natural beauty and more importantly, the only breeding ground in East Africa for the flamingo will far outstrip any short term gains to be had by a short term, short sighted profit created by an Indian owned business. What is the Tanzanian government thinking? They would do better to market it correctly as a tourist attraction as one of the ONLY prestine places outside a national park in the world. Market it to the cashed up climbers of Mt Kili, anyone can climb a mountain, but an active volcano is something different. Put in viewing stations around the lake, advertise it to the many bird watchers who specifically come to Tanzania to film birds. The possibilities are endless, with ALL the cash staying in Tanzania and further more providing employment for Tanzanians. Seriously, I am so thankful that I got to see both Lake Natron and the Serengeti BEFORE either was ruined by the short term GREED of a short sighted government. I would have liked my grandchildren to have my experience. Alas, Tanzania is about to kill it's goldern goose and exploit it's own people who will undoubtedly be employed doing manual labour for a pittance in these mining ventures who will take the majority of the profits off shore. WAKE UP AND DEVELOP SOME NATIONAL PRIDE - Any country is this world can pollute our environment with factories, no other country except Tanzania has a natural prestine eco system like Lake Natron, preserve it; in the end it will be of far more value to you than the bloody soda ash factory which will destroy it.
Posted by: Sue Hemingway | 09 Apr 2011 02:53:24