Earth Report – In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro
28 February 2008: Beneath Mount Kilimanjaro’s majestic peak, there’s a growing struggle over scarce water supplies in East Africa. Nearly four million people depend on Tanzania’s Pangani river for their water. But poor rains and increasing demand have left the land, dams, people and their herds thirsty for water.
In the run-up to World Water Day on March 22nd, Earth Report investigates the root cause of the shortages and conflicts - and looks at a new strategy to share out the precious waters of the Pangani river basin.
Earth Report – In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro will be broadcast on BBC WORLD:
Friday 29 February - 20.30, with repeat broadcasts on Monday 3 March 10.30, Tuesday 4 March 15.30 and Wednesday 5 March 02.30 and 08.30 (All times quoted as GMT)
For more information on programme schedules in local time zones visit www.bbcworld.com
The Pangani River in North Eastern Tanzania starts high on the slopes of Mounts Kilimanjaro and Meru. From the lush foothills of these mighty volcanoes, the river travels 500 km south east before spilling into the Indian Ocean.
The basin covers an area of 48,000 square kilometres, and nearly four million people depend on it for water. But now this essential resource could be in jeopardy. Lake Jipe, one source of the Pangani River on the Tanzania/Kenya border, is shrinking. According to the Global Environment Facility, the lake’s volume has dropped by half in the last 10 years.
River levels in the Pangani have always fluctuated. But now the once reliable seasonal rains have become erratic, and local people can no longer rely on them to top up the lake in the rainy season.
Exacerbating the situation, farmers and a growing local population are extracting too much water, and large-scale industrial agriculture uses huge volumes of water to irrigate crops.
The three hydroelectric power stations situated on the Pangani River have the potential to provide 20 per cent of Tanzania’s electricity needs. Today they often run at just 30 per cent of their capacity. There’s just not enough water in the river to power them at full capacity.
The Pangani Basin Water Office has been established to manage the river and find a way to share out its diminishing resources. International consultants are training and working with local experts to predict how changes in water distribution will affect the river basin, and so help the Water Office to balance supply and demand. If they get it right, the Pangani River could become a leading example for the rest of the world.
“Before the establishment of the basin water office, the conflicts were enormous. With the establishment of the basin in 1991, we tried to educate people, to create awareness that water is everybody’s right.”
Hamza Sidiki, Pangani Basin Water Officer
“The change started in the 1970s. The reeds started growing a lot.
The lake is so small now, the reeds make fishing very difficult, and you can’t get many fish.”
Miraji Ramadhani, former fisherman, Lake Jipe
“Pangani Basin was one of the ten demonstration sites around the world to look into how people can sustainably manage and use water resources.
One of the outputs is to disseminate the information gathered here into other basins in the country, in the region, and in the world.”
Sylvand Kamugisha, Project Coordinator, IUCN
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In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro was produced with the support of the IUCN Water Programme
TVE and its Partners distribute Earth Report programmes for broadcast and educational and campaigning use in countries across Africa, Asia & the Pacific, and Latin America & the Caribbean – to schools, colleges, universities, NGOs, environmental agencies and other ‘multiplier’ organisations.
For further information on the programme, production team and issues raised look up www.tve.org/earthreport
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