|
Centre for climate change to set up in Kilimanjaro |
Send to a friend |
|
Friday, 18 June 2010 08:51 |
|
By Frank Kimboy, Dodoma
The government, in collaboration with the European Union, will establish a centre of excellence for climate change to mitigate its effects in Africa’s highest mountain, the Kilimanjaro.
The minister of State in the Vice President’s office responsible for Environment, Dr Batilda Buriani, said upon its completion the centre, which is in preliminary stages of construction, will provide education on how to protect the environment.
Apart from that, Dr Buriani said it would also act as a centre for tourist attraction in Kilimanjaro Region. She said ecological plants from various parts of the country would be collected for local and foreign tourists to see and thus increase foreign exchange earnings.
Dr Buriani made the statement in the Parliament yesterday in answer to a question from Moshi Urban MP Philemon Ndesamburo (Chadema). He wanted to know what efforts were being made by the government to ensure that the ice at the top of the Kilimanjaro does not disappear completely.
According to experts, 80 per cent of the ice on the highest mountain in Africa has melted in the past few years due to climatic change effects.
Dr Buriani noted that apart from establishing the centre, the government has also been providing education to people living around the mountain on the importance of preserving natural resources.
“My ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources and through the Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa), provides education to wananchi living around the mountain and encourages them to plant trees as well as protect the environment,” she said.
She said the two ministries were discussing with the Police Force so that it may assist in controlling the increasing problem of poaching.
“Our game reserves are not capable of dealing with the problem of poaching... we are trying to reach an agreement with the Police Force so that they can assist us,” Dr Buriani said.
She was responding to a supplementary question from Longido MP Michael Lekule Laizer (CCM).
|
