Ruaha National Park threatened by farming activities

By Gerald Kitabu

31st December 2013

By Gerald Kitabu

31st December 2013

The scenery of great Ruaha River during dry season

If it is true that water is life, then animals at Ruaha National Park are only ‘alive’ during rainy season, the only season they can easily access water from the Great Ruaha River.

This means that lives of the wild animals in the park during dry season are at risk as the Great Ruaha River which is the vital lifeline of the park normally dries.
The Great Ruaha River originates from Mpanda Kipengere Mountains and then gushes into the Usangu wetlands before flowing into the great Ruaha National Park. However, before reaching the park, much of the water is diverted into large scale farms.

Along the river, there are more than 3,000 water users and each user utilises water such that the water that enters the river is not adequate to support animals’ lives down the river in the park.

Animals start competing for the little water resources during which the weaker are killed, with others migrating from the park, according to the former Ruaha park warden, Stephano Qolli.

Those who cannot survive the situation, begin roaming into the nearby Ntungamalenge village in search of water and food.

According to the chairman of Tungamalenga village, in Iringa rural district Greyson Ngwale, whose village is neighbouring the park, during dry season, a herd of up to twenty elephants and other animals opts to go into the village to collect mangoes, banana trunks and water.

“These animals regularly enter the village looking for mangoes, banana trunks and water; so, when we see them we usually report to the game wardens who come to get them back into the park,” said Ngwale.

Ngwale’s claims are echoed by Qolli who said during dry season, the situation is worse and it is during this period when some of them that cannot withstand the drought tend to migrate to other national parks as they look for water.

He said some animals die not only because of lack of water, but because they are being easily killed by their enemies as they scramble for the little water in the river.

“When there is water scarcity, carnivores like the lions tend to hunt and kill other animals like antelopes, giraffes near the river as they compete for the little water,” he said.

He also said that when the river gets dry, it is very dangerous for the animals’ health because when competing for the little water, the rate at which the diseases such as anthrax spreads from one animal to another is very high.

Qolli said big agricultural projects, coupled with a huge number of pastoralists between Mpanda Kipengele Mountains and Usangu valley, diverted much water from entering the Great Ruaha River, which also supplies water to Mtera hydro-electrical dam.

“When the Guardian visited the park, the situation was alarming. The river had been reduced to mud with vividly seen sharp stones owing to a very shallow water level. Where there was some little water desperate hippos and crocodiles reigned in the muddy sludge.”

A senior park warden of Ruaha National Park who preferred anonymity on grounds that she was not a spokesperson told the Guardian that unless agriculture activities which are conducted at the river source prevented animals will continue experiencing drought in the park.

“Kilimo kwanza is good but it should be conducted sustainably in a manner that does not compromise the wild life,” she urged.

“She added that unsustainable Kilimo kwanza being conducted between Mpanda kipengere and Usangu valley is letting us down. This situation is not healthy for our animals and our life altogether.”

She said that apart from unsustainable agriculture, the pastoralists are also to blame as they have degraded the river source especially at the upstream.

Commenting on the environmental degradation, the Director of Lawyers Environmental Action Team (LEAT) Dr Rugemeleza Nshala said that the government needs to have a comprehensive plan to educate the farmers on the importance of environmental management.

“For example, the law requires villagers to farm at a distance of 60 meters from the river and whoever does not comply is doing mistake,” he said.

For his part, the former director of forestry and beekeeping division in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Dr Felician Kilahama, said normally catchment areas, and forests are the ‘lungs’ for the wellbeing of our nation something, which is not properly portrayed in various national policies and decision making machinery.

This is because water catchment areas, forests and woodlands are not a priority compared to other sectors like, agriculture, health, education, energy or infrastructure.

Yet there are strong linkages between forests and water supply, health, energy and agriculture.

“Now it is an opportune time to request Tanzanians to give priority to conservation of forests and wildlife resources for the wellbeing of the nation and sustainable economic growth,” he said.

He adds: The new constitution being formulated should include a section stipulating clearly that about 40 percent of land be reserved for the protection of key forests and wildlife areas.

Such areas should include forest reserves, nature forest reserves, national parks, game reserves, marine parks, marine reserves and critical wetland area of national and international significance.

In other words, the constitution should recognise critical natural resources and ensure that they are managed in perpetuity firstly, for the benefits of Tanzanians and secondly, for meeting needs of global communities for instance, conservation of genetic materials for future research and industrial and medical requirements.

Thus, it is important that the nation should take deliberate efforts to conserve natural forests, wildlife and the entire biodiversity resources especially endemic, near endemic, rare as well as threatened species of flora and fauna as the basis to ensuring sustainable development and contribution to national poverty eradication strategies.

Contacted for comments on the matter, Iringa regional commissioner, Christine Ishengoma said that her region in collaboration with Dodoma and Mbeya are working out plans to make sure that the national park is well conserved.

She said that some of the plans involves sensitizing and educating communities living adjacent to the River to make sure that they conducts their activities in a manner that would not compromise the river and animals in the park.

“Thank you very much for understanding the problems facing our national park. The district commissioners of Iringa and Dodoma have started meeting on this matter. We are also going to involve Mbeya authorities because it is where this Great Ruaha River originates,” she said.

She said those two weeks ago, a team of experts from Rufiji river basin visited her on the matter and after discussions; they went to Mbeya where they held similar discussions with Mbeya authorities.

She said that so far Wild World Fund for nature (WWF) is also working on projects to restore the Great Ruaha River.

According to the WWF website, in 1993 the river dried for three weeks; by 1999 this had risen to three months.

This trend sounds a warning that the level of water use and the management of natural resources is unsustainable and could result in irreparable damage to the environment.

If that were to happen, neither the catchment area nor the river will be able to contribute to the general development of the area.

So, the WWF has embarked on a project that aims at reducing too much dependence on the river by the approximately 3 million people living along the river.

The project involves local communities in water resource management. This includes reducing water withdrawals for irrigation, training farmers in more efficient water use in rice production, and developing alternative water sources.

Also in the list are supporting the development of alternative livelihoods away from water-intensive agriculture to such activities as beekeeping and soap making among many others.

Apart from accommodating big animals such as elephants, giraffes, buffaloes and lions, Ruaha National Park is also home to rare plants and animals such as the greater kudu (tragelaphus strepsiceros) and lesser kudu (tragelaphus imberbis), but are now threatened by drought as buffaloes and other animals are now migrating from the park in search of food and water. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN