Logging in Selous

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Dzombo
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Logging in Selous

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Richprins
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Re: Logging in Selous

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TANZANIA TO OPEN UP PRISTINE GAME RESERVE FOR LOGGING AND HYDRO ELECTRIC PLANT

BY ADAM CRUISE - 15 MAY 2018 - SA BREAKING NEWS

Image
Stiegler’s Gorge in Selous Game Reserve

Tanzania is proposing large-scale logging in the middle of the Selous Game Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most iconic wildlife areas in Africa.

Tender documents have revealed plans for extensive timber harvesting in the middle of the Selous Game Reserve which is also one of the oldest and largest game reserves in the world, covering an area of 54 600 km2. The reserve is an important refuge for Elephants and lions as well as the critically endangered African Wild dog and a host of other species.

The documents state that almost 1 500 square kilometers will be cleared, and almost 3.5million cubic meters of wood extracted, with 2.6 million trees felled, to an expected value $62million. It is not clear who the beneficiaries will be.

Selous has already lost 95% of its elephants in the last 30 years, and it is expected that opening up the park to logging and consequent related development will increase poaching as has been the case in many other parts of Africa.

Not only elephants are threatened. Speaking at a conservation conference in South Africa over the weekend, Peter Lindsey, director of the World Conservation Network, said that the biggest threat to wild lions in Africa is the destruction of natural habitat. His point was echoed by dozens of conservation organisations including trophy hunters at the Conservation Lab conference.

Paul Stones, a professional hunter, said: “The single most important thing for both trophy hunters and photographic tourists is the protection of biodiversity, which is being lost at catastrophic rates. With the removal of natural habitat at current levels, wildlife in Africa is all but doomed.”

It is understood that no environmental impact study has been finalised prior to the tender, as required by the law, nor was any official notification sent to UNESCO as required by the rules for World Heritage Sites. According to sources within Tanzania, there has been no civil society protest and the state protection and park agencies have remained silent.

Conservationsts are concerned that the Tanzanian Government has sought funding on a hydropower project at Stiegler’s Gorge with construction work of a dam to start in July. The plan is to build a 2 100-megawatt hydro plant on the reserve's Rufiji river, which flows into the Indian Ocean. Budgets for road works and airstrip upgrading are currently being presented to parliament. Yet, UNESCO has a clear position that dam projects that harm World Heritage sites should not be built.

Ian Michler, specialist safari operator and environmental journalist points out that the move to open the reserve up for logging and other development may be as a result of the almost complete failure to attract tourism into the region.

“There are few permanent lodges in the reserve with most of the land given over to trophy hunting concessions,” says Michler. “Revenue from trophy hunting has been virtually non-existent in the Selous.” Michler believes the Tanzanian government ought to hand the entire area over to photographic tourism. “It’s the only way the Selous will be saved,” he said.

Already, two large conservation investments have been injected into the park – by KFW, the German government-owned development bank as well as the World Bank – as part of a tourism development project.

A meeting was held by World Wildlife Fund at the World Bank in Washington on Monday to urgently discuss the Tanzanian government decision. The WWF have already expressed deep reservations about the hydro-electric project asking potential investors, banks and construction companies not to invest in or lend to the project.

Forest clearance tenders are due in on Wednesday and will be opened this Friday.

Courtesy of the Conservation Action Trust. See http://conservationaction.co.za.

The Independent on Saturday


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Re: Logging in Selous

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Is the logging to be in the area submerged by the dam? :-?


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Re: Logging in Selous

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Richprins wrote: Wed May 16, 2018 5:34 pm Is the logging to be in the area submerged by the dam? :-?
In addition to :evil:


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Re: Logging in Selous

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0*\ 0*\ 0*\ 0*\

typical TANparks

:O^ :O^ :O^ :O^


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Re: Logging in Selous

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:evil:


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Re: Logging in Selous

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There must be some king of International Law that prohibits this kind of initiatives, Selous being a UNESCO World Heritage Site :-?


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Re: Logging in Selous

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Lisbeth wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 12:38 pm There must be some kind of International Law that prohibits this kind of initiatives, Selous being a UNESCO World Heritage Site :-?
Sadly this is Africa and Stuffed Brown Envelopes with $$$$$ RULE completely


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Re: Logging in Selous

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That, even if true, should not influence UNESCO -O-


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Re: Logging in Selous

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Luxury lodge closes as loggers move in to make way for dam in Selous Game Reserve

Posted on 8 March, 2019 by Africa Geographic Editorial in News, Selous, Tanzania and the News Desk post series

Image
1,500 square kilometres of terrain will be destroyed in Selous Game Reserve to make way for the Stieglers Gorge hydropower project © Richard Mortel/Flckr

Azura Selous, a luxury game lodge situated along the banks of the Great Ruaha River in the remote Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania, has announced its sudden closure due to the unexpected arrival of loggers in the area.

In a newsletter sent out to various members of the travel industry, Azura Selous stated that the loggers intend to clear the area for the flooding that will occur during the construction of the hotly debated Stieglers Gorge hydropower dam along the Rufiji River.

Azura’s management team made the decision to close the lodge due to the damage and disturbance that the loggers will cause to the surrounding environment.

The Stieglers Gorge hydropower project has come under intense scrutiny from a number of wildlife organisations and activists, who are concerned that the $3 billion project will seriously affect the ecosystem of Selous Game Reserve.

Image
The Rufiji River in Selous Game Reserve © Digr/Wikipedia

According to latest news reports, seventeen Tanzanian companies have been awarded tenders to clear 1,500 square kilometres of terrain inside Selous – an estimated 2.6 million trees – to make way for the hydropower plant.

Selous Game Reserve is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered one of the largest remaining wilderness areas in Africa, covering an area of 54,600 square kilometres.

Upon completion, the plant will provide 2,100MW of electricity to a country that is currently extremely under-supplied. The plant will be designed to supply more than double the country’s power generation capacity. According to Tanzania’s Minister for Energy, Medard Kalemani, the plant is expected to completely end the country’s power woes and sustain local industries with electricity and sell the surplus power to neighbouring countries.


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