http://allafrica.com/stories/201610170152.html

 

Climate change is perceived as a global problem affecting many ecological areas such as National Parks and as a result no institution, district, region or nation can address it alone. Our Staff Writer, ANNE ROBI interviewed the Director of Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Mr Allan Kijazi, on how the organisation tackles the factors arising from climate change...

 

How are national parks affected by climate change?

As a result of what is perceived as the impacts of climate change, our parks, particularly those lying downstream of water drainage systems (rivers and floodplains) have started experiencing water shortages in the dry season or at times no water flow at all.

This is also partly due to water abstraction upstream by irrigation farmers, part of what may also be caused by lack of enough rainfall in the growing season(s). - Wildfire is another challenge which we believe is associated with climate change. Most of the parks lie in Savanna and Miombo woodlands which are dominated by grass. When the dry season is prolonged, rampant wildfires occur, destroying vegetation and animals that are not quick enough to escape. - The melting of the ice cap on Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the impacts of climate change.