Programme underway to protect Mt Kilimanjaro from degradation

By Felister Peter

Ummy Mwalimu, deputy minister, Vice President's Office (Environment)

In a bid to mitigate the ongoing devastating climate change effects on Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, the government is implementing a sustainable development programme on land use that will among other things ban the cutting of trees in the region.

“We are aware of the negative impacts of climate change on Mt Kilimanjaro…the government in collaboration with international organisations have been taking various measures to protect it,” deputy minister, Vice President’s Office (Environment), Ummy Mwalimu told Law makers yesterday in Parliament.


Pointing out that ice melting from Kilimanjaro (30 per cent already lost) is attributed to global warming, according to research conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), she said the four year plan (2011 – 2015) is financed by the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) to the tune of USD 3 million for the stated period.

Detailing on the programme activities, Mwalimu said the government, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and the Kilimanjaro National Parks Authority (KINAPA) has been conducting an intensive tree planting campaign all around the vicinities of the mountain in an inclusive approach with the locals.

She said the tree planting efforts are backed by an ongoing awareness drive and thanks to it, the residents of Kilimanjaro Region are now involved in the conservation efforts and on the most part, they also adhere to the prohibition on tree harvesting short of a special permit.

Further, Mwalimu said the government is also lobbying to have developed countries to reduce green gas emissions by 5.2 percent as lined out in the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The deputy minister’s explanation was in response to a question posed by the Ole MP, Rajab Mbarouk Mohamed (CUF) who wanted to know what measures are taken by the government to protect the mountain and residents of nearby villages from the negative climate change effects.

She was also responding to an additional question from Rombo legislator, Joseph Selasini (Chadema) who inquired as to why the government imposed the ban limiting residents from harvesting their own matured trees.

“The villagers can be allowed to harvest their matured trees, but they should follow set procedures which have been put in place as part of efforts to protect the environment and the mountain itself,” she said.
According to her, after the four-year plan, another programme will be put into action later. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN