The proposed Serengeti highway is the part of my region that I have chosen to explore in this region. The Tanzanian government has approved the planning and building of a large commercial highway across the Serengeti National Park. This road would link two commercial areas in Tanzania, the Lake Victoria region on the north west with eastern parts of Tanzania such as the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam. This proposed highway would bisect the Serengeti National Park in two and would run in the migration path of the wildebeest and zebra populations during the rainy season. In total about 2 million animals may be affected by the building of this highway.
The highway could have disastrous consequences for the wildlife that makes this annual trek but it would also have a negative effect on the wildlife that lives in this area. Commercial and personal vehicles travelling down this road would increase the number of road kills that happen each year, it might introduce new diseases as humans get closer to animals and it could also change parts of the ecosystem as animals begin being affected by the close contact of humans.
The proposed highway brings up some major questions about the use of land, the choice between conservation and economic gain and the value of Serengeti National Park as part of the culture of heritage in Tanzania. As I have mentioned before the Maasai were pushed out of areas like the Serengeti because of concerns about the preservation of the animals and wildlife that existed there. If the decision was made that this nomadic tribe would cause damage to the environment how can this highway be justified? How is the Tanzanian government going to deal with the loss of animal life and how do they propose to prevent it? What will the backlash in loss of tourism to the area be? Will the Serengeti lose its world heritage site status?
Sources
- http://www.savetheserengeti.org/news/highway-news/scientific-impact-statement-survey/#axzz12jg0x6kD
