His Excellency President Luiz Lula da Silva of Brazil who was on a state visit to Tanzania has argued Africa to form a common position and hold accountable highest polluters to pay the cost for global warming or else risk the extreme effects of Climate Change. He went further and said that it is wrong to continue pushing Africa to undermine their plans for development of alternative energy sources (e.g. agro-fuels). “You should go to Mexico with a common stand and tell the big polluters to pay the cost of the environmental pollution”. He stressed! This is a great support from one of the emerging and influential big economies countries. Africa has to speed up its common position/strategy on the issue of Climate Change and Global Warming on the coming UNFCC meeting which will be held on Mexico in the coming December 2010. So what to do?
It was decided by the conference that scientific findings on Climate Change in Africa should be submitted to the African political leaders to enable them to adequately negotiate at the forthcoming UNFCCC Summit in Mexico in December 2010 from a better informed and united position. This came from a review of the Copenhagen Summit held in December 2009 where the negotiations failed to get an agreement. It was noted that in Copenhagen, the political and scientific components from Africa were not working together. It was apparent that the two were negotiating in parallel. Consequently, the African scientists are duty-bound to present to the African Heads of State and Government the acquired data and knowledge on the Science of Climate Change, projections of realistic future climate scenarios, with projected impacts in, and attendant implications, over Africa.
I would like to kindly urge NASAC (Network of African Science Academies) by mid-July 2010 in consultation with other African scientists, ECA and AUC, to speed up the preparation of the 2-page Statement on Climate Change in Africa. The issue of provision of Climate Change funds and Africa’s accessibility to the Climate Change funds should be addressed in the prepared statement. Also summary of the Conference Proceedings (ECA-AU SWA II, June 2010) should be disseminates as soon as possible and we have to see to it (conference document) that it reaches all the intended destinations (governments) in Africa. A follow up is essential. NASAC, ECA and AUC should distribute the prepared 2-page Statement on Climate Change in Africa to the African governments through senior government officials for their ingestion and appropriate submission to their respective ministers, for their consumption and incorporation before heading to Mexico in December 2010. Long-term initiatives on the Science of Climate Change, Mitigation and Adaptation, and growth of sustainable green economies in Africa will be jointly coordinated by ECA and AUC in collaboration with their regional (Africa) partners. An establishment of an ECA-AU hosted Pan-African Green Technology and Innovation Centre is envisaged.
Note: This article is the result of the conversation we made with the formerly Director of ICSU-South Africa and Rapporteur of ECA-AU SWA II, June 2010, Professor Sospeter Muhongo regarding to the comments of President of Brazil on Climate change.
Stephen J Nyagonde
National Representative
Young Earth Scientist Network- Tanzania,
Internship WWF Tanzania Office,
Rubeho Environmental Action Project-REAP,
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG),
Rubeho, Mpwapwa, Dodoma,
Email: stnya19@yahoo.com, snyagonde@gmail.com
Mobile: +255713058745, +255765111101
Friday, July 9, 2010
Threatened by uranium mining: Bahi Swamp - a life channel in central Tanzania:
Bahi wetland is situated about 50km west of Tanzania´s capital city Dodoma. This wetland is of enormous value for food security and income generation in the semi arid landscape of central Tanzania and beyond. Actually this unique natural resource is threatened by plans for uranium mining pushed forward by Tanzanian government and foreign investors. Topographically Bahi swamp is described as a closed depression. Geological faults divert as well superficial as underground water flows of the Bahi drainage basin into the swamp. Inhabitants count 8 major and 10 smaller perennial streams feeding the swamp. During years with enough rain a open water surface with a diameter of around 30km can develop and prevail for up to five years. These special conditions enable various economic activities of high importance for people’s livelihoods in generally semi-arid region:
Due to erratic rainfall patterns rainfed agriculture often fails and subsequently famines occur regularly. Irrigated paddy production in the swamp area therefore is a promising alternative. Already in 1982 FAO and USAID started to introduce advanced technologies of rainwater harvesting and rice production in the Bahi Swamp. The initial project area of 150ha was extended by farmers to more than 500ha. In 1990 IFAD supported another 150ha. Nowadays the whole area under paddy production can be guessed around? 5000ha, however exact assessment is missing. Farmers claim to harvest up to 40bags per acre. Therefore Bahi rice production is an important factor for food security in the region and beyond. Also rice farming is a good business for farmers in Bahi. They are quite well off and to some extent seem to have escaped from poverty. Fish is another important contribution for food security and income generation. Standing at the edge of Bahi
Lake one can watch dozens of traditional boats returning with tons of fish. Bahi fish is famous all over Tanzania. Local traders guess their accumulated daily turnover to? 100 Mio Sh (about € 50.000.-). Not only fishermen living adjacent to the lake take profit of Bahi fish; as fish are traveling upstream after being born in the swamp also the villages along the rivers share the blessing. For them the fish from the rivers are a vital dietary supplement as otherwise they totally depend on unreliable rainfed harvest. In some years when inappropriate rainfall patterns have destroyed harvest on the fields fish may be the only available food for people during some periods!
Typically for African semi-arid areas many people around Bahi live on cattle keeping as traditional herdsmen. For this people the swamp offers important grazing areas. In several villages on the northern edge of the swamp area people are using another chance of income generation depending on the natural resources provided by the swamp: using traditional technologies they are producing salt, which is exported until to the neighboring countries Burundi and Ruanda! Uranium mining will threaten the whole system of Bahi swamp by emissions of poisonous and radioactive gases and dust, land destruction and enormous water consumption during mining and processing. The most serious hazards however will be huge tailings dumps: processing the ore to yellow cake results in huge amounts of slurry which is usually pumped into large basins. It is not easy to imagine how such dumps can be maintained in safe manner in an area that is periodically flooded! The potentials of Bahi swamp have been assessed by some scientific studies mainly conducted by University of Dar es Salaam (Institute of Resource Assessment) and Sokoine University of Agriculture. Professor Munishi described in a presentation that irrigated paddy comprises 65% of total household grain production and contributes 59% of household income, fish maintains 10% of household food and 36% of household income. Mwakuje et al. Published a study in 2009 on use and sustainability of the swamp resources for peoples livelihoods exemplary in the two villages. However facing the current challenge of uranium mining plans it is highly necessary to assess the general contribution of Bahi swamp to food security and economy in the region and beyond by a comprehensive study which also should point out how uranium mining will affect this natural resource system.
Note: This article has been sent with our colleague Pasience Mlowe but was written by Anthony Lyamunda and Martin Kurz of CESOPE, Tanzania and uranium-network.org, Germany respectively
Due to erratic rainfall patterns rainfed agriculture often fails and subsequently famines occur regularly. Irrigated paddy production in the swamp area therefore is a promising alternative. Already in 1982 FAO and USAID started to introduce advanced technologies of rainwater harvesting and rice production in the Bahi Swamp. The initial project area of 150ha was extended by farmers to more than 500ha. In 1990 IFAD supported another 150ha. Nowadays the whole area under paddy production can be guessed around? 5000ha, however exact assessment is missing. Farmers claim to harvest up to 40bags per acre. Therefore Bahi rice production is an important factor for food security in the region and beyond. Also rice farming is a good business for farmers in Bahi. They are quite well off and to some extent seem to have escaped from poverty. Fish is another important contribution for food security and income generation. Standing at the edge of Bahi
Lake one can watch dozens of traditional boats returning with tons of fish. Bahi fish is famous all over Tanzania. Local traders guess their accumulated daily turnover to? 100 Mio Sh (about € 50.000.-). Not only fishermen living adjacent to the lake take profit of Bahi fish; as fish are traveling upstream after being born in the swamp also the villages along the rivers share the blessing. For them the fish from the rivers are a vital dietary supplement as otherwise they totally depend on unreliable rainfed harvest. In some years when inappropriate rainfall patterns have destroyed harvest on the fields fish may be the only available food for people during some periods!
Typically for African semi-arid areas many people around Bahi live on cattle keeping as traditional herdsmen. For this people the swamp offers important grazing areas. In several villages on the northern edge of the swamp area people are using another chance of income generation depending on the natural resources provided by the swamp: using traditional technologies they are producing salt, which is exported until to the neighboring countries Burundi and Ruanda! Uranium mining will threaten the whole system of Bahi swamp by emissions of poisonous and radioactive gases and dust, land destruction and enormous water consumption during mining and processing. The most serious hazards however will be huge tailings dumps: processing the ore to yellow cake results in huge amounts of slurry which is usually pumped into large basins. It is not easy to imagine how such dumps can be maintained in safe manner in an area that is periodically flooded! The potentials of Bahi swamp have been assessed by some scientific studies mainly conducted by University of Dar es Salaam (Institute of Resource Assessment) and Sokoine University of Agriculture. Professor Munishi described in a presentation that irrigated paddy comprises 65% of total household grain production and contributes 59% of household income, fish maintains 10% of household food and 36% of household income. Mwakuje et al. Published a study in 2009 on use and sustainability of the swamp resources for peoples livelihoods exemplary in the two villages. However facing the current challenge of uranium mining plans it is highly necessary to assess the general contribution of Bahi swamp to food security and economy in the region and beyond by a comprehensive study which also should point out how uranium mining will affect this natural resource system.
Note: This article has been sent with our colleague Pasience Mlowe but was written by Anthony Lyamunda and Martin Kurz of CESOPE, Tanzania and uranium-network.org, Germany respectively
Scientists should talk much on reality rather than predictions:
In October 2009, more than 350 young earth scientists (both practitioners and academicians) gathered at University of Geosciences, Beijing, China discussing different scientific challenges facing our planet earth today. The event also involves decision makers (politicians), civil society organizations and many other senior scientists from different countries all over the world. I was one among the Africans colleagues participated and leading the group of Africans young earth scientists presenting scientific findings from Africans perspective. We shared experiences from every corner of the world. Despite of accruing all those, the most thing which am so honoured is the round table session discussing how we can improve knowledge generated from sciences entitled as the “Balance between science and reality”
A lot of issues where highlighted with decision makers (politicians) and scientists regarding to the balance between reality and science. The arguments lie on different perspectives, and finally we reach on amicable conclusion. Politicians rely more on idea that different research projects come up with the findings with full of uncertain with hard language, and are not straight only contain projection and not reality. Further they continue to argue that, knowledge generated from scientific findings should be put into practice for actions and economic development. This could bring interphase between politicians and scientists. We finally agreed, we need realistic scientific findings which can help to raise GDP, stabilize economy and even creating jobs all over the world.
Stephen J Nyagonde
National Representative
Young Earth Scientist Network- Tanzania,
Internship WWF Tanzania Office,
Rubeho Environmental Action Project-REAP,
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG),
Rubeho, Mpwapwa, Dodoma,
Email: stnya19@yahoo.com, snyagonde@gmail.com
Mobile: +255713058745, +255765111101
A lot of issues where highlighted with decision makers (politicians) and scientists regarding to the balance between reality and science. The arguments lie on different perspectives, and finally we reach on amicable conclusion. Politicians rely more on idea that different research projects come up with the findings with full of uncertain with hard language, and are not straight only contain projection and not reality. Further they continue to argue that, knowledge generated from scientific findings should be put into practice for actions and economic development. This could bring interphase between politicians and scientists. We finally agreed, we need realistic scientific findings which can help to raise GDP, stabilize economy and even creating jobs all over the world.
Stephen J Nyagonde
National Representative
Young Earth Scientist Network- Tanzania,
Internship WWF Tanzania Office,
Rubeho Environmental Action Project-REAP,
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG),
Rubeho, Mpwapwa, Dodoma,
Email: stnya19@yahoo.com, snyagonde@gmail.com
Mobile: +255713058745, +255765111101
Real corruption undermines the future of Tanzania:
It is no an exaggeration to say that corruption jeopardizes the very future of Tanzania. It grows and eats deeper and deeper into our psyche, morality and fabric and become even more and more difficult to exorcise. It does not give hope to Tanzanians because every day we wake up with corruption while we have the Prevention of Corruption and Combating Bureau (PCCB). It continues to dismantle our country and still there is no appropriately measures have taken to stop it especially at rural areas. Corruption is not particularly unique to Tanzanians or any other developing countries. We understand it happens in every country in the world, yet other countries have found away to deal with it or limit it and it has not stopped their progress.
I am in the village called Mbuga (about 127Km from Mpwapwa town), situated in the shadow and bases of Rubeho Mountains (part of Eastern Arc Mountains) covered with the thick forests of Mafemera, Mang’alisa and Ukwiva forests. Despite of having many biodiversity and some important endemic species like Rubeho partridge (Xenoperdis obscuratta), these forests are important sources of water in two main rivers of Wami and Great Ruaha. Such a village is has got its uniqueness features, as it comprise three main places which are very popular. One of them is including the alcoholic club where almost 98% of the villagers gathered daily and drink local brew known as “dimbura” from morning until the midnight. Other places are the offices of VEO and WEO. I mentioned the aforementioned offices primarily because of corruption escalating with an alarming rate at those offices.
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) has a project of conserving environment of Rubeho Mountains through Participatory Forest Management (PFM) with the headquarter at Mbuga village. At first when I arrived at this area, I got a friend who is the field assistant within our project. We shared alot of information together especially on conservation; he informed me how illegal logging was taking place in their area before arrival of the project. However the project of TFCG has reduced such calamity, though still there is a challenge of corruption which is mainly facilitated with government leaders. It has been learnt from the field that one of the reason that is accelerating illegal timber harvesting in most of the area is poor understanding of procedures and regulations that are guiding timber and log harvesting in most of the grassroots communities. Previous months ago, I and the village environmental committee, we conducted a patrol within the forest searching pilfers conducted illegal logging. We caught eight people with the chain saw machine who had already cut down more than 20 trees with a DBH of net less than 45cm. We follow the procedure and send them to the village government for further procedures including fines. Legally all books responsible for collection of any revenues within the village government should be collected from District Executive Director (DED) office. You can’t imagine the village Executive Officer (VEO) has got his own book of collecting revenues and fines and at the end he provides normal receipt to the people. It is sad, sad and sad; village leaders are frauding government revenues. I asked them why are they doing so? They had no clear answer to me, and they have been doing that over a decade up to now. To what extent our government losses?
Myself I take it as a challenge and starting to educate the Village Environmental Committee (VEC), what procedures should be followed on collecting revenues of the forest products. I distribute by-laws and management plan guiding management of forests to them. This has changed the situation, and the rate of corruption has been reduced. What I am trying to do here is highlighting and probably impress on my fellows, what that monster called corruption is doing Tanzanians especially at rural areas. The fact remains that what we need people and leaders with strong political will and commitment to, and unafraid to avail such calamity. God bless Tanzania and we should devote much our self to save for our country. Thanks hail the idren.
Stephen J Nyagonde
National Representative
Young Earth Scientist Network- Tanzania,
Internship WWF Tanzania Office,
Rubeho Environmental Action Project-REAP,
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG),
Rubeho, Mpwapwa, Dodoma,
Email: stnya19@yahoo.com, snyagonde@gmail.com
Mobile: +255713058745, +255765111101
I am in the village called Mbuga (about 127Km from Mpwapwa town), situated in the shadow and bases of Rubeho Mountains (part of Eastern Arc Mountains) covered with the thick forests of Mafemera, Mang’alisa and Ukwiva forests. Despite of having many biodiversity and some important endemic species like Rubeho partridge (Xenoperdis obscuratta), these forests are important sources of water in two main rivers of Wami and Great Ruaha. Such a village is has got its uniqueness features, as it comprise three main places which are very popular. One of them is including the alcoholic club where almost 98% of the villagers gathered daily and drink local brew known as “dimbura” from morning until the midnight. Other places are the offices of VEO and WEO. I mentioned the aforementioned offices primarily because of corruption escalating with an alarming rate at those offices.
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) has a project of conserving environment of Rubeho Mountains through Participatory Forest Management (PFM) with the headquarter at Mbuga village. At first when I arrived at this area, I got a friend who is the field assistant within our project. We shared alot of information together especially on conservation; he informed me how illegal logging was taking place in their area before arrival of the project. However the project of TFCG has reduced such calamity, though still there is a challenge of corruption which is mainly facilitated with government leaders. It has been learnt from the field that one of the reason that is accelerating illegal timber harvesting in most of the area is poor understanding of procedures and regulations that are guiding timber and log harvesting in most of the grassroots communities. Previous months ago, I and the village environmental committee, we conducted a patrol within the forest searching pilfers conducted illegal logging. We caught eight people with the chain saw machine who had already cut down more than 20 trees with a DBH of net less than 45cm. We follow the procedure and send them to the village government for further procedures including fines. Legally all books responsible for collection of any revenues within the village government should be collected from District Executive Director (DED) office. You can’t imagine the village Executive Officer (VEO) has got his own book of collecting revenues and fines and at the end he provides normal receipt to the people. It is sad, sad and sad; village leaders are frauding government revenues. I asked them why are they doing so? They had no clear answer to me, and they have been doing that over a decade up to now. To what extent our government losses?
Myself I take it as a challenge and starting to educate the Village Environmental Committee (VEC), what procedures should be followed on collecting revenues of the forest products. I distribute by-laws and management plan guiding management of forests to them. This has changed the situation, and the rate of corruption has been reduced. What I am trying to do here is highlighting and probably impress on my fellows, what that monster called corruption is doing Tanzanians especially at rural areas. The fact remains that what we need people and leaders with strong political will and commitment to, and unafraid to avail such calamity. God bless Tanzania and we should devote much our self to save for our country. Thanks hail the idren.
Stephen J Nyagonde
National Representative
Young Earth Scientist Network- Tanzania,
Internship WWF Tanzania Office,
Rubeho Environmental Action Project-REAP,
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG),
Rubeho, Mpwapwa, Dodoma,
Email: stnya19@yahoo.com, snyagonde@gmail.com
Mobile: +255713058745, +255765111101
Sunday, July 4, 2010
We will miss you a lot brother Mushi:
Honestly, we have remained so lonely after your departure our brother Octavian Mushi. Initially it started as a rumours that you will move out of the YET program of WWF-Tanzania programme office, and now it become the truth you’re not with us again. It is the mourning period for us, we don’t know how will it going to be without you in YET. For the short period of four months we have been together, we learned a lot of things from you which are very important in our carrier pathway. You have been a great mentor and regulator for the whole time to make sure we are delivering to the maximum level. Through your mentorship we are confident and believing that, what we have accrued will be a guiding and supportive tool to us in any working place. We are still remembering your kindness, indulgence and moral support to us. For sure your departure has created a gap and sadness within our group. It is like a pumpkin isolated within the desert, real we will miss you a lot brother. There is no way out, what we need is to confer with the situation. We have nothing to pay you rather than our prayers to God for you. We are wishing you all the best and hope if god wishes we will still continue working together. May God bless you and we are warmly welcoming you to visit us again.
Stephen J Nyagonde
National Representative
Young Earth Scientist Network- Tanzania,
Internship WWF Tanzania Office,
Rubeho Environmental Action Project-REAP,
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG),
Rubeho, Mpwapwa, Dodoma,
Email: stnya19@yahoo.com, snyagonde@gmail.com
Mobile: +255713058745, +255765111101
Stephen J Nyagonde
National Representative
Young Earth Scientist Network- Tanzania,
Internship WWF Tanzania Office,
Rubeho Environmental Action Project-REAP,
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG),
Rubeho, Mpwapwa, Dodoma,
Email: stnya19@yahoo.com, snyagonde@gmail.com
Mobile: +255713058745, +255765111101
Friday, July 2, 2010
Drivers of Deforestation and forest Degradation in Kibondo District:
Kibondo is one of the three districts of Kigoma region which is located (4º, 07’S, 31º, 00’E) in Northern part of the region and western part of Tanzania. According to the 2002 Tanzania National Census, the population of Kibondo District was 414,764 and is administratively divided into 20 wards. The district is bordering the neighboring country of Burundi, Kigoma and Kasulu districts in Tanzania. It covers a total land of 16,058 Km2 which is equivalent to 43.3% of total kigoma region land area. The district is covered with large woodland in the two established forest reserves. Of the total forest areas 508,672 hectares fall under open public forests. Those open forests have various valuable tree species such as Pterocarpus angolensis (Mninga), Khaya nyasica (Mkangazi), Afzelia quanzensis (Mkora), Milecea- exelsa (Mvule), and Brachystegia spiciformis (Mtundu).
The currently threats facing forest management in Kibondo district include unsustainable agriculture practices, particularly extensive shifting cultivation, illegal harvesting and trade in timber and creation of new settlements which results into fragmentation and loss of natural forests as they are converted into field. Those proximate stress are linked to higher level processes particularly poverty, in all of its multiple interrelated dimensions, including a lack of education and training opportunities, which results in a dependence on natural resource-based livelihoods. Also the district has experienced the greatest upsurge in deforestation and forest degradation over the past twenty years due to the most serious influx of refugees from Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo (DRC). The existing baseline data on new settlements and houses constructed by local people in Kibondo district reveal that 95% depend on forest products (poles, grasses and trees). From the national development perspective, this area represents one of the poorest districts in Tanzania and most rural livelihoods are heavily dependent upon land use and forestry resources. 97% of the population in Kibondo district depends on agriculture and district is undergoing different activities including bricks baking, and burning farms for cultivation, cooking greatly contribute to increase of greenhouses gases emissions. Generally the search of alternative sources of livelihood such as charcoal burning, illegal logging and collection of firewood has further exacerbated environmental degradation within such a district which ultimately resulted into the current climate change happening in the world.
Note: The present article is drawn from my consultant work assigned by GLIRT a non-governmental organisation, on preparing a concept note paper of REDD and submitted to Institute of Resources Assessment (IRA) of University of Dar es salaam and Royal Norwegian Embassy in Tanzania.
Stephen J Nyagonde
National Representative
Young Earth Scientist Network- Tanzania,
Internship WWF Tanzania Office,
Rubeho Environmental Action Project-REAP,
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG),
Rubeho, Mpwapwa, Dodoma,
Email: stnya19@yahoo.com, snyagonde@gmail.com
Mobile: +255713058745, +255765111101
The currently threats facing forest management in Kibondo district include unsustainable agriculture practices, particularly extensive shifting cultivation, illegal harvesting and trade in timber and creation of new settlements which results into fragmentation and loss of natural forests as they are converted into field. Those proximate stress are linked to higher level processes particularly poverty, in all of its multiple interrelated dimensions, including a lack of education and training opportunities, which results in a dependence on natural resource-based livelihoods. Also the district has experienced the greatest upsurge in deforestation and forest degradation over the past twenty years due to the most serious influx of refugees from Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo (DRC). The existing baseline data on new settlements and houses constructed by local people in Kibondo district reveal that 95% depend on forest products (poles, grasses and trees). From the national development perspective, this area represents one of the poorest districts in Tanzania and most rural livelihoods are heavily dependent upon land use and forestry resources. 97% of the population in Kibondo district depends on agriculture and district is undergoing different activities including bricks baking, and burning farms for cultivation, cooking greatly contribute to increase of greenhouses gases emissions. Generally the search of alternative sources of livelihood such as charcoal burning, illegal logging and collection of firewood has further exacerbated environmental degradation within such a district which ultimately resulted into the current climate change happening in the world.
Note: The present article is drawn from my consultant work assigned by GLIRT a non-governmental organisation, on preparing a concept note paper of REDD and submitted to Institute of Resources Assessment (IRA) of University of Dar es salaam and Royal Norwegian Embassy in Tanzania.
Stephen J Nyagonde
National Representative
Young Earth Scientist Network- Tanzania,
Internship WWF Tanzania Office,
Rubeho Environmental Action Project-REAP,
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG),
Rubeho, Mpwapwa, Dodoma,
Email: stnya19@yahoo.com, snyagonde@gmail.com
Mobile: +255713058745, +255765111101
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