Raping of Kilombero valley: Ex-PM in spotlight


THISDAY REPORTER
Kilombero
June 16, 2009

HEAVYWEIGHT politicians, including at least one former prime minister, a former regional commissioner and an incumbent member of parliament, are at the centre of controversy surrounding a looming ecological and humanitarian disaster in the Kilombero valley flood plains of Morogoro Region.

The politicians are reported to be protecting livestock keepers who have invaded the valley plains, causing serious degradation of the ecosystem.

Some wildlife species have already been driven into extinction as a result of the invasion, with the water sources of several important rivers also at stake.

The invaders from pastoral communities in Tabora, Shinyanga and Mwanza Regions came into the Kilombero valley back in 2003 with hundreds of thousands of cattle, devastating the ecosystem and available habitat for wildlife.

’’It is an open secret that these heavyweight politicians are protecting the pastoralists, and since they are powerful personalities, efforts to remove these cattle from the valley are constantly being scuppered while destruction of the environment continues unabated,’’ an official from Kilombero District told THISDAY.

His comments were echoed by a colleague from neighbouring Ulanga District, both speaking on the sidelines of a Morogoro regional consultative council (RCC) meeting here at the weekend.

Our own investigations have established that cattle evictions from the Kilombero valley have not taken place since 2005, when President Jakaya Kikwete gave the order for the evictions from that area along with Ihefu and Usangu in Mbeya Region.

Sources say some land and livestock officers in both Kilombero and Ulanga Districts are also involved in worsening the situation by allowing pastoral and agricultural activities in the sensitive Kilombero wetlands, an area of heavy wildlife concentration.

The sources say the Kilombero wetlands, which are protected under an international convention on wetlands signed in Ramsar, Iran in 1971, are also on the brink of complete destruction.

Our investigations have also found that the continued pastoral and agricultural activities in the Kilombero valley plains are degrading umpteen water sources in both Kilombero and Ulanga Districts.

’’Some of these water sources for the Kilombero and Rufiji Rivers have all but dried up due to the encroachment of the pastoralists,’’ say the sources, warning that the destruction of the wetlands will render the government’s goal of making Morogoro Region a breadbasket a pipe dream.

Apart from the ecological damage caused by the invasion of the area by livestock keepers, other environmental side effects include the wiping out of 75 per cent of the world’s population of the wetland dependent puku antelope (sheshe in Kiswahili).

This antelope is now only found in 18 locations in Africa and its survival, as a species, depends on the Kilombero valley population.

Apart from the puku antelope, other animals rendered an endangered species as a result of the activities in the valley include lions, buffalo, elephants, crocodiles and hippopotamus.

It is believed that the endemic puku antelope, for example, has become a favourite for some pastoralists who have become poachers per se as its meat is considered a delicacy.

THISDAY findings further show that many of the pastoralists have dogs and guns which they use in hunting the puku antelope, further speeding up their decline.

The pastoralists are also destroying fish spawning grounds in lakes interconnected with the Kilombero River system, where they use chemicals to protect their cattle from ticks and tsetse flies.

An eight-member government task force led by Morogoro Regional Natural Resources Officer Joseph Chuwa last month investigated the degree of environmental abuse so far done on the Kilombero valley.

Contacted yesterday, Chuwa confirmed most of THISDAY’s findings, and warned that urgent measures should be taken by relevant authorities to save the valley from total environmental degradation.

He said the task force has submitted its own report to the Morogoro regional commissioner’s office for action, a fact acknowledged by newly-appointed Morogoro Regional Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel (rtd) Issa Machibya.

’’The task force has made some findings and we have started implementing them. It (the Kilombero valley flood plain) is an environmentally sensitive area that cannot be ignored,’’ Lt Col. Machibya told THISDAY in an interview.

Hunting Areas Kilombero North (now Miombo Safaris) and South ( Wild Footprints, Family Shaloom) now are only a Shadow compare the Hunt Quality 10-15 Years ago. A Real Shame. Kilombero ecosystem had the highest Cape Buffalo density in All of Africa. And plenty of BIG LION. With the buffalos the Lions are also gone.Most lions where poisoned....

Seloushunter

this is not only a problem there but in kenya the pastoralist have caused major eco. damage and problems with poaching to in the tsavo area it's very bad no plans game left in the area outside the park. many secies have disappeared from the area. a small poaching ring was caught last month with lots of very small ivory. what a waste. the tree huggers got hunting outlawyed and the game population has disappeared in many areas due to poaching. There are actualy importing plans game from sa to restock norther game park

"Some wildlife species have already been driven into extinction as a result of the invasion, with the water sources of several important rivers also at stake."

"Apart from the puku antelope, other animals rendered an endangered species as a result of the activities in the valley include lions, buffalo, elephants, crocodiles and hippopotamus. "

I know nothing of the issue or the place, but the two paragraphs above make the entire article suspect.

What species were driven into extinction? Extinct means absolutely no live specimens of a species remain anywhere in the world.

How were lions, buffalo, elephants, crocodiles and hippopotamus "render(ed) an endangered species" because of an action in one corner of the continent?

Puku are found in 17 other locations. How can they all be dependent upon the Kilombero Valley population?

Bill Quimby

ISSUE OF THE DAY: Kilombero valley: A ticking environmental time bomb

June 17, 2009

LUCAS LIGANGA
Morogoro

THE Kilombero valley flood plain shared by Kilombero and Ulanga Districts in Morogoro Region is an ecological bank with its abundant natural resources, including wetlands, wildlife and water catchments areas.

In August 2000, Tanzania ratified the Ramsar Convention of Wetlands that stipulates wise use of wetland resources, maintaining the ecological character of the site while contributing to people’s livelihoods.

Due to its ecological importance, in April 2002 the Kilombero valley flood plain Ramsar Site
was designated and added to the Ramsar Convention’s list of wetlands of international importance, especially because the valley contains almost 75 per cent of the world’s population of the wetland dependent puku antelope.

This antelope is now only found in 18 locations in Africa and its survival, as a species, depends on the
Kilombero valley population.

Other Ramsar Sites in Tanzania include the Rufiji-Mafia-Kilwa, a site that is a representative wetland in East Africa as it contains a large diversity of wetland types, which are ecologically interlinked, including the threatened estuarine coastal and marine wetland habitats.

Among others, this wetland maintains mangrove and coral communities. It also offers reproduction and nesting of turtles.

There is also the Malagarasi-Muyovosi Wetlands Ramsar Site, a vast and complex riverine floodplain in the basin of the Malagarasi River in northwest Tanzania.

The basin has five main rivers of Malagarasi, Muyovosi, Kigosi, Gombe and Ugalla which drain an area of 9.2 million hectares.

The Kilombero Valley Flood Plain Ramsar Site Project aims to develop an integrated management plan (IMP) that will involve Kilombero and Ulanga Districts. Through the implementation of this IMP, the project aims to reduce the levels of land use conflict and improve the livelihoods of communities in 31 villages which depend on the wetlands for their income.

The project’s main goal is to improve the livelihoods of these communities through sustainable management, conservation and utilisation of the wetlands’ natural resources.

This will be attained through improved land use planning activities, establishing natural resource based income generating activities at village and household level, establishing local institutions to coordinate, manage and develop key sectors of the local economy at the village and district level such as beekeeping, forestry, agriculture, and fisheries, and improving the efficiency of the district councils to implement the IMP, according to the Ramsar Convention.

However, all these positive environmental efforts are being frustrated by the invasion of the valley by livestock keepers where their volume of cattle has exceeded the carrying capacity of the area that spans 796,735 hectares.

Although the population of the cattle roaming in the valley has not yet been established estimates indicate that there are between 250,000 and 300,000 heads of cattle.

The invasion of livestock keepers from Tabora, Shinyanga and Mwanza Regions in 2003 had driven out or depleted wildlife from the Kilombero valley game controlled area, until recently home to lions, buffalo and the rare puku antelope.

Adding salt to the environmental wound inflicted by the pastoralists, investigations by THISDAY have revealed that some Kilombero and Ulanga District officials are in a process of registering a ranch in the Kilombero valley and sensitive RAMSAR wetlands areas.

And some political heavyweights, including a former prime minister and a former regional commissioner are alleged to be behind the establishment of the ranch in the area of such biodiversity importance.

In addition, THISDAY investigations have further found that an incumbent Member of Parliament is protecting the pastoralists ’’who give him massive support during parliamentary election campaigns’’.

’’The legislator (name withheld) got financial support and a lot of votes from the pastoralists during the 2005 elections,’’ says a political source who declined to reveal his name.

Apart from the ecological damage caused by the invasion of the area by the livestock keepers, other environmental side effects include the wiping out of the wetland dependent puku antelope, only found in 18 locations in Africa and its survival, as a species, depends on the Kilombero valley population.

It is believed that the endemic puku antelope, for example, has become a favourite for some pastoralists who have become poachers per se as its meat is considered a delicacy.

THISDAY findings further show that many of the pastoralists have dogs and guns which they use in hunting the puku antelope, further speeding up their decline.

Apart from the puku antelope, other animals rendered an endangered species as a result of the activities in the valley include lions, buffalo, elephants, crocodiles and hippopotamus.

The pastoralists are also destroying fish spawning grounds in lakes interconnected with the Kilombero River system, where they use chemicals to protect their cattle from ticks and tsetse flies.

Three lakes of Mende, Ndolo and Ngapembe which are important water catchments and large tracts of swamps that are interconnected by many streams in the Kilombero valley are also facing environmental degradation.

Pastoral and agricultural activities will lead to soil erosion, filling the lakes and swamps with silt that could result in their drying up.

Pastoral and agricultural activities will also negatively impact the three lakes which are also important wetland bird nesting grounds for both endemic water fowl species and seasonal bird migrants.

In addition, the continued pastoral and agricultural activities in the Kilombero valley plains are degrading umpteen water sources in both Kilombero and Ulanga Districts. There are 38 water sources in Kilombero District and 34 water sources in Ulanga District.

’’Some of these water sources for the Kilombero and Rufiji Rivers have all but dried up due to the encroachment of the pastoralists,’’ say the sources, warning that the destruction of the wetlands will render the government’s goal of making Morogoro Region a breadbasket a pipe dream.

The Chairman of Ulanga District Council, Mr Salum Mndembo, admits that livestock keepers have caused environmental degradation of the highest degree in the Kilombero valley, something that is threatening efforts to make Morogoro Region a breadbasket as directed by President Jakaya Kikwete.

Mndembo, who is also vice-chairman of the Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania (ALAT) in Morogoro Region, says members of the association will convene a meeting this month to discuss the environmental harm facing the Kilombero valley.

’’The meeting will come up with an agenda that will be submitted to President Kikwete,’’ he says, adding that the ALAT meeting will invite different stakeholders, including the Morogoro regional authorities, the regional security officer, the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) and Members of Parliament based in the region.

The Kilombero District Council Chairman, Mr Hassan Goagoa, also admits that the invasion of the pastoralists in the Kilombero valley has resulted in the wiping out of some animals like the puku antelope.

’’But the environmental harm can be stopped from further damage if there is a political will by leaders to remove the pastoralists,’’ says Goagoa.

Admitting that the environmental damage in the Kilombero valley was affecting the Wetlands Ramsar Site, the Member of Parliament for Kilombero on the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) ticket, Mr Castor Raphael Ligallama, says: ’’We’re assessing the situation on the ground and give feedback to the government.’’

An eight-member task force led by Morogoro Regional Natural Resources Officer Joseph Chuwa last month investigated the degree of environmental abuse so far done on the Kilombero valley.

Chuwa says there are no concerted efforts aimed at arresting the environmental abuse on the Kilombero valley despite directives given by government leaders.

He warns that urgent measures should be taken by relevant authorities to save the valley from total environmental degradation, adding that the measures include the removal of the pastoralists and farmers from the valley.

He said the task force has submitted its own report to the Morogoro regional authorities for action, a fact acknowledged by newly-appointed Morogoro Regional Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel (rtd) Issa Machibya.

’’The task force has made some findings and we have started implementing them. It (the Kilombero valley flood plain) is an environmentally sensitive area that cannot be ignored,’’ Lt Col. Machibya told THISDAY in an interview.

In his parliamentary inaugural speech on December 28, 2005, President Jakaya Kikwete ordered the removal of cattle from Kilombero, and Ihefu and Usangu in Mbeya Region to save the environment from complete degradation.

In April 2006, the Vice-President, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, announced stringent government measures aimed at protecting the environment from further degradation, including eviction of pastoralists and farmers from protected lands.

He directed pastoralists who had settled in game protected areas and mountains to move voluntarily before they were removed by force.

Both directives from the country’s top leadership fell into deaf ears as nothing has been done to date, and the pastoralists continue damaging the environment at will.

ligangalucas@yahoo.com

quote:

Originally posted by mboga biga bwana:
Hunting Areas Kilombero North (now Miombo Safaris) and South ( Wild Footprints, Family Shaloom) now are only a Shadow compare the Hunt Quality 10-15 Years ago. A Real Shame. Kilombero ecosystem had the highest Cape Buffalo density in All of Africa. And plenty of BIG LION. With the buffalos the Lions are also gone.Most lions where poisoned....

Seloushunter

Quite rightly stated: "had the highest Cape Buffalo density" though its decline is not entirely attributable to pastoral
activity but mainly to over kill (an area that was once on a 30/40 Buffalo quota per year went to over 120 and has been incessantly hammered for the past 15+ years).
Agreeably, the encroachment by the nomadic maasai/wagogo has definitely had a negative impact on the ecosystem; the common practice of poisoning Lions which have found easy prey within the cattle herds is unchecked and continues unabated, an increase in poaching of game (predominantly Buffalo and Puku) given the presence of pastoral communities opens doors to the local villagers who take advantage of this unchecked movement to freely conduct their poaching activities.
The decrease in grazing area which has now been created by large populations of cattle will have also pushed some of the Buffalo herds out of the area.
It is sad to note that this phenomenon has extended itself all the way south to the Ruvuma, taking over most if not all of the Open and
Wildlife management Areas - the only southern part which is free of this pestilence is the Selous Game Reserve.
The Authorities need to get their act together fast before it is too late and it may just be too late!

This kind of shit seems to happening in all kinds of places nowadays......

I couldn't believe Mto Wa Mbu last time I was there. The charcoal burners etc are hammering it.

What used to be a smallish village and nice bush is rapidly turning into a town and a desert respectively.

As you say, The Authorities need to get their act together fast before it is too late.

kibokolambogo wrote:
(an area that was once on a 30/40 Buffalo quota per year went to over 120 and has been incessantly hammered for the past 15+ years).

Same happened in ( many LOW cost Buffalo hunts ) Selous Blocks in Msolva Sector and along west of the Kilombero and far North in the Selous.


South of the Rufiji in the Selous is the Buffalo HEAVEN IMO now.( Luke Samaras,TAWISA,TAWICO Blocks )

Seloushunter

quote:

Originally posted by mboga biga bwana:
kibokolambogo wrote:
(an area that was once on a 30/40 Buffalo quota per year went to over 120 and has been incessantly hammered for the past 15+ years).

Same happened in ( many LOW cost Buffalo hunts ) Selous Blocks in Msolva Sector and along west of the Kilombero and far North in the Selous.


South of the Rufiji in the Selous is the Buffalo HEAVEN IMO now.( Luke Samaras,TAWISA,TAWICO Blocks)

Seloushunter

Probably because of properly regulated quotas and well managed blocks by serious outfitters.
Unfortunately the cheap safaris....oops, low cost hunts, have caused the decimation of Buffalo and general
game in some other once, prime areas.

I saw cattle in Mehenge South OA when I was there 3 years ago. I that area open to cattle or not?

Brett

quote:

Originally posted by Brett Adam Barringer:
I saw cattle in Mehenge South OA when I was there 3 years ago. I that area open to cattle or not?

Brett

That would be WSW of the Kilombero valley and no, not really a cattle zone.
Mahenge South O/A has the Luhombero and the vast swamp area from where the Luhombero begins as excellent grazing areas.
Cattle has most always been 'confined' to the areas north of the Morogoro/Mbeya highway which could be
considered as a demarcation line for the southernmost part of Masailand (even though it should be slightly higher north)
but because of the local Maasai population explosion, spillover from Kenya, search for greener pastures, water, etc.
these 'nomads' have decided to carve out out more areas of land which they will claim as "theirs" and do as they
please to keep their 'walking bank accounts' well watered, fed and out of harm's way and what better areas than those
south of Handeni (Wami, Ruvu, Kilombero, Luhombero and Ruvuma Rivers)?

I see a lot of this 'recent' influx of livestock in areas that were previously "contained" as a direct result of the upgrading of Usangu/Lswefu to a National Park. in so doing, they have caused thousands of wasukuma pastoralists with their hundreds of thousands of cattle to begin roaming and invading other areas.

The wasukuma, it is important to note, are the largest tribe in Tanzania, probably even more obsessed than the Maasai with cattle and their arch-bitter rivals. While the Maasai are somewhat contained in 2-3 regions within Tanzania (and of course Kenya), the WaSukuma have no boundary or territory. They roam where ever there is pasture and water for their massive herds of cattle.

Its like an army of temrites swarming across the countryside devouring anything in their way! With elections next year, it is hardly something Gov wants to address........

quote:

With elections next year, it is hardly something Gov wants to address........

Until it is to late to do anything. Usual African story...

Seloushunter

Africa Wins Again.

I saw plenty of evidence of the "pastoral" cattle people while I hunted there (Wild Footprints) last Oct/Nov. Did see large numbers of buff and three different mature male lions and took both. Our problem was the rice farmers squatting on the property and digging up the ground to plant. We called the police on at least two or three occassions to have them removed or the equivalent cease and desist order. Beautiful area.


Dutch

If there was any doubt that hunting companies that protect their areas are the only thing between having pristeen bush and a desert, you only need to fly over Tanzania and you will see that the bush is being hammered right up to the boundary of the hunting areas. If the hunting areas were gone the loss of the habitat would soon follow.

Obviously, there are a number of problems -- and I don't know of any way to really "fix" Africa.

A couple thoughts, though:

I presume much of the habitat destruction, like India, is due to cutting of wood for fuel -- would a cheaper/more efficient stove help, or is the culture dependent on open fires? (I know there have been some projects which tried to design efficient stoves, affordable to the 3rd world -- don't know if they went anywhere.)

Could Africa industrialize? EG, is there a way to get those pastoralists to move to cities? Are there resources to exploit? Is there a way to do this, that doesn't involve the execution of most African politicians

Are there more efficient options? Improved building techniques, better animal genetics, more reliable farming methods?

What do they use their cattle for? Are they just acquiring them because cattle are wealth, or do they actually use that number for food? Would a more efficient animal be acceptable?

Nomads do a terrible job of taking care of land, they always do, Much of central TX is a wasteland due to overgrazing and poor farming techniques practiced by inexperienced "farmers" and by cattle ranchers who suddenly stopped roaming - and sheep herders.

It is unlikely the US will ever again have another president this friendly to Africa -- and Heaven help us if there's ever another one as willing to spend money.

The current jackass in chief is not going to listen to any argument containing hunting, but arguments made about helping the unfortunates from his homeland live a better life, might.