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Our environment fragile, JK warns
2006-03-10 14:55:42
By Bilal Abdul-Aziz
President Jakaya Kikwete warned yesterday that environmental degradation in the country was real.
He termed the threat as ’’a matter of life and death.’’
He sounded the warning during a tour of ministries under the Vice-President’s portfolio.
Two ministries fall under Office of the Vice President. These are the Ministry of Environment under Prof Mark Mwandosya and Union Affairs ministry under Dr Hussein Mwinyi.
The President said the government would take tough action to pre-empt the looming environmental disaster. He said some of the measures might be unpopular because they will affect a majority of the people.
’’Environmental threat is now real in our country and we should deal with it using all the arsenals at our disposal. Without that, we are doomed to perish,’’ he warned.
’’We have been engaged in activities that affect the environment adversely in the course of developing ourselves.
For many years now, human activities have been left uncontrolled and this will eventually negatively affect sustainable development.’’
He explained that cutting down forests for fuel, poor farming methods and overgrazing in some parts of the country such as areas close to the Great and Little Ruaha and Mt Kilimanjaro were now costing the nation dearly.
’’We must take appropriate action now. We are not prepared to hand over to our grandchildren a country that has been turned into a desert!’’
’’Recently, I was informed that the land in Mwanza can accommodate only 63,000 cattle, but the same land currently accommodates over three million cattle. I am told that there are 1.7 million cattle around Ihife.
This poses a major threat to our water catchments and the environment in general,’’ Kikwete said.
Kikwete told the two ministries and other state organs to see to it that water catchments are conserved.
He directed the VP’s Office and ministries of Energy and Minerals and Natural Resources and Tourism to work closely and sort out crosscutting environmental problems.
About the Union, President Kikwete said the Union formed in 1964 between Tanganyika and Zanzibar to give birth to Tanzania should be given emphasis and the respect it deserves.
’’There are problems yes, but our task is to work on these ambiguities in as short time as possible. We must start working on these problems now,’’ he stressed.
The two state ministers in the VP’s Office, Prof Mark Mwandosya and Dr Hussein Mwinyi briefed the President on the challenges, plans and strategies of their dockets over the next five years.
Prof Mwandosya said he faces major challenges such as deforestation, increasing number of cattle and invasion of water catchments and nature reserves by small farmers and miners.
As part of steps taken to tackle the problems, the cabinet endorsed the National Environmental Programme on February 10, this year.
Dr Mwinyi said his office would soon start working on the ambiguities in the Union and educate the public on Union matters.
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