| Dear Serengeti Supporters,
In the coming decade the Serengeti ecosystem will increasingly be caught up in efforts to bring health, prosperity, and better lives to all East Africans. The articles below will help explain.
We need to make sure that the Serengeti remains relevant to human welfare and economic development. It will take a coalition of support, both international and local, to make this happen.
You can be part of this. We ask for your continued support!
The Serengeti Watch Team
The challenge of development & conservation
An excellent new article entitled Massive road and rail projects could be Africa’s greatest environmental challenge states at the outset, “Africa’s natural environments and spectacular wildlife are about to face their biggest challenge ever.”
The article summarizes a recent study published in Current Biology on the benefits and dangers of Africa’s massive new development corridors. Continue reading here.
Click here to read an abstract of the study in Current Biology.
Click the photo below to view a short video from this study.
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| Click on the photo to view a short video |
“Africa is likely to be a global epicentre of environmental conflict. A key reason: an unprecedented scheme to dramatically expand African roads, railroads and energy infrastructure.”
An Oil Pipeline Through the Serengeti?
Last year, Tanzania signed a letter of agreement with Uganda to build an oil pipeline from Uganda to a port on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast. One look at the map shows that the most direct route would be through the Serengeti. Going around the park would probably increase the cost.
More recently the French oil company, Total, restated its desire that the pipeline should go through Tanzania.
With the current oil market, it does not seem likely that this is imminent, and there are alternative routes that may be better. But we’re watching and will keep you updated if we need to sound the alarm.
Watch for more: In coming newsletters we’ll discuss the role and challenge of tourism and the tsunami of population growth.
Serengeti Watch is a project of Earth Island Institute,
which has the highest rating on Charity Navigator
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