By: James Roller
Produced & Edited By: Andrew Davis
The Serengeti National Park is
known worldwide. Yet, maintaining this environmental sanctuary is becoming an
issue for those concerned. Tanzania's middle class wealth is expanding and that
brings about the need for better infrastructure, as well as connecting smaller
communities to the national highway network.
One of the proposed highways would
run across the northern part of the Serengeti National Park, connecting the port of Musoma to Arusha and giving proper highway access to the regional residents.
The East African Court of Justice originally blocked the proposal, but that
decision has been appealed by the Attorney General's office of Tanzania. This road proposal has become a highly political issue and simply
whether or not it's referred to as a highway or a road is a debate among
concerned parties.
Wildebeest
Activists argue that wildebeest migration will
affected by the road and affect the tourism industry. Indeed, the highway does
cut across a migratory route for the wildebeest. Nigel Hunter of the East African Wildlife Society is one of those activists.
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| Wildebeest in the eastern part of the park. Photo © Maasai Magical Safaris |
However, safari operator Simon King thinks this
issue is being blown out of proportion.
"There is so much
misinformation regarding this so called "highway" through the Serengeti. I have heard so many arguments put forward by so called
conservation groups, mainly irrational and based on incorrect information," King said.
"The road through the northern Serengeti already exists. It is possible
for trucks and buses to transit through the Serengeti at this point
already."
King pointed out that paved
highways, like this one that cut across wildlife areas, already exist in
different parts of the country, and don't significantly affect the migration
patterns in those areas. He says these roads are heavily policed and large
fines are handed out for collisions with wildlife. One of these roads connects
Arusha to Dodoma.
"Often seen are herds of zebras and wildebeest, in their thousands massed on one side or the other waiting
to
cross over this tarmac thoroughfare. The presence of the road
does not stop this
migration," King said. "The 40-odd kilometer stretch of road in the northern Serengeti that has caused
so much ire and angst amongst conservationists, would not see even 50% of the
volumes of herds that cross the road on the short grass plains."
King even went as far as to say
that the highway could help the overall well being of the park. This highway
could serve as a way of easing the traffic on highways outside the park.
"The threat is not a road.
The threat is to the preservation of the lands and habitats, swamps and rivers
that form part of the Serengeti ecosystem, but lies outside its borders. This
is the major threat to all wildlife areas in Tanzania, unfettered and unplanned
development outside the national parks," King said. "By opening this
road in the north of the park it will have the advantage of reducing traffic
through the much more ecologically sensitive areas of Ngorongoro and the short
grass plains."
Those like Dennis Rentsch of
the Frankfurt Zoological Society disagree and feel that it's important to
remember the purpose of the park, protecting a wildlife area.
"While its likely that
this would include diverting traffic which is currently using other roads in
and around the park, the concern is the increase traffic more generally
directly through an important route of the migration of over 1.2 million
wildebeest as well as hundreds of thousands of other species." Dennis
Rentsch of the Frankfurt Zoological society. "This would be potentially
devastating for the future of the wildlife migration and the ecological
functioning of the Serengeti ecosystem in the long run."
Invasive Plants
The concern of invasive plant
species also worries activists. In theory, the increase of traffic across the
park could bring invasive species of plants, like Chromolaena Odorata, a weed found in North America and even different cactus
species, that have already been discovered there. John Bukombe of the
Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute says that this could pose problems, but is
not a national issue.
"The concerns of invasive
plant species along the northern Serengeti road are currently not a national
issue." John Bukombe said. "The government awareness is based on some
research works in Serengeti national Park and in villages, which reported
invasion of Opuntia vulgaris and Chromolaena
odorata, a notorious weed worldwide. Some of the local village
governments are aware of some critical invasions in some areas/villages that
are along the road."
Bukombe feels that the issue of
plant invasions in Tanzania needs to become a national issue. The Serengeti
National Park conducted surveys last year. Those surveys mentioned plant
invasions as a "management issue."
"The problem of plant
invasions is still in earlier stages in Tanzania and this would be the right
point of early intervention," John explained. "I therefore think that
it is now high time for the Tanzania government to consider the issue of plant
invasion one of the national potential threats to biodiversity and economy,
just as some human or animal diseases are given priority."
Politics
There has been another proposed
route for the highway that would run south of the Serengeti National Park instead
of across the northern portion. Some groups like Carbon Tanzania think this is
a more logical option.
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| Wildebeest crossing a dirt path. Photo © Frankfurt Zoological Society |
Marc's point illustrates how
this is not necessarily an environmental issue but a political issue. Those
spoken with agree that whatever the
solution, the plan needs to be better thought out.
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