Reforesting the continent’s highest mountain could help protect vital water supplies that are under threat in many parts of East Africa, a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme says.
The report says protecting East Africa’s mountain ecosystems would safeguard the region’s $7 billion tourism industry.
“Across the continent, the damage done to these ecosystems is depriving people of the basic building blocks of life,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment agency.
He said Mt Kilimanjaro was an example of how climate change was severely damaging Africa’s mountains and the people who depend on them.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Solheim observed that as climate change intensified, it was essential that governments act swiftly to prevent more harm.
The mountains of East Africa are highly productive agricultural areas and have unexploited hydro-power potential.
Rivers in the Nile Basin, for example, could generate 20 gigawatts of electricity while the Mau Forest could generate 508 megawatts, enough to meet half of Kenya’s capacity.
Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest in Africa, contributes to more than a third of Tanzania’s revenue from tourism but is facing several problems, ranging from shrinking glacier to rampant wild fires.
The report urges Tanzania to protect the mountain’s water catchment area by reforestation, investing in early warning systems and making climate adaptation a top priority.
Source: Daily Nation
