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New hope for Arch mountain forests
2006-04-02 07:59:00
By Felix Andrew
The government, in collaboration with international partners, has initiated new strategies to save the threatened eastern Arc mountain forests, which many people depend on it for various social and economic activities.
The Arc covers a total area of approximately 348,204 hectares and spreads over fifteen districts in five regions of Morogoro, Tanga, Dodoma, Iringa and Coast.
Speaking in Morogoro on Friday during the inauguration of the Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund (EAMCEF), on behalf of the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Anthony Diallo, the Morogoro Regional Commissioner, Said Kalembo, said the Fund was established to compliment government efforts in conservation.
The Arc is a source of domestic and industrial water for the mentioned regions and about 60 per cent of Tanzania’s hydro-electricity.
He thanked the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for their invaluable support to the Fund.
’’However, as a condition before GEF could disburse the USD 7m as seed capital, the Fund was urged to set and attain some benchmarks,’’ he said.
He said the Fund has now attained all the benchmarks two years ahead of the planned five-year time-frame.
’’It is my sincere hope that the speed shown while working to attain the benchmarks will be maintained during implementation of field activities so that the Eastern Arc mountains are conserved effectively,’’ he said.
He said the government and partners need to commit not less than USD 1m each year in order to ensure effective conservation of the critical ecosystem.
Minister Diallo asked the Fund to come up with a fundraising strategy that will help guide the process of soliciting more resources.
He called upon all stakeholders, organisations, private individuals, the business community and development partners to join the government in its efforts to conserve the Arc .
Speaking on the same occasion, Prof. Said Idd, the EAMCEF Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said the Eastern Arc Mountains are one of the 34 globally important and rich in biological regions in the World known as biodiversity hotspots.
According to him the biodiversity of the Arc is of great value locally for mitigating the impacts of rural poverty.
Survey indicates that about 40 percent of total household consumption is some forest adjacent communities in the mountains is accounted for by forest and woodland products such as firewood, construction material, medicinal herbs, wild fruits and other food materials.
Despite their unique values and importance, the Eastern Arc Mountain forestry resources are under serious threat.
Estimates by Conservation International have revealed that the mountains have lost over 70 percent of their original forest cover during the last 200 years.
A recent survey by the Sokoine University of Agriculture gave more alarming picture. In a span of a thirty years (1970 to 2000), the mountains lost over 38,530 hectares, he said. The continuous loss of forest cover in the area is principally due to cultivation, fire, charcoal making and illegal logging for poles and timber.
He said starting July this year, EAMCEF will be issuing grants totalling USD 200,00 per year for conservation, community development and research in the priority areas.
The Fund has prioritised Udzungwa and East Usambara Mountains for the first round of grants.
It has set aside more than 46m/- for the purpose for April - June this year to be spent in Muheza, Korogwe, Kilolo, and Mufindi where the two mountain blocks lie.
On her part, the WB country Director Judy O ’Connor commended the government for its contribution of USD 2m to finance the Tanzania Forest Conservation and Management Project.
She declared the EAMCEF’s successful attainment of all the eight benchmarks for the release of the USD 7m capital endowment from GEF.
As a trust Fund, EAMCEF was established in 2001 to provide long term, reliable and sustainable funding for fostering conservation of the biodiversity in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania.
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