THE government has reassured the international community that the ongoing construction of a dam within the Selous Game Reserve wouldn’t compromise efforts of conserving the World Heritage property.
The move, would actually guarantee the country of enormous marine species once the dam comes to fruition, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Professor Eliamani Sedoyeka said here yesterday.
The Permanent Secretary who was speaking shortly before opening a training workshop on enhancing capacities of Management of World Heritage Sites, said Tanzania remained steadfast in protecting the area, even when some quarters continue raising eyebrows on the ongoing project of the gigantic hydro-electric dam.
“Much as Tanzania is a signatory to the 1972 World Heritage Convention, we will continue pulling resources in conserving the area and the international community shouldn’t doubt us on that,” he said.
Professor Sedoyeka also reminded the naysayers of the ongoing project that conserving and protecting the area was an expensive affair, urging them to applaud and appreciate the country’s efforts.
“If anything, those doubting us should commend whatever we are doing in conserving the world heritage sites found in Tanzania,” the PS explained.
In the same vein, Professor Sedoyeka called upon seven managers drawn from listed world heritage sites in the country to commercialize the sites so that the country reaps fortunes from their presence.
Equally, he directed the managers to send conservators for crash programmes on business modules in a bid to unlock the potential from the listed heritage sites found in Tanzania.
“Look at what Egypt is doing to its pyramids, our focus and interest is to see these sites bringing wealth to our economy,” he added.
Tanzania ratified the World Heritage Convention on August 2, 1977 and it has to date seven properties inscribed on the World Heritage list.
They include the Serengeti National Park, Kilimanjaro National Park, Nyerere National Park(formerly Selous Game Reserve) and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area(NCA).
Others are Stone Town of Zanzibar, Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara ruins and Kondoa Rock-Art sites.
Currently studies are underway to see if the proposed sites met the benchmarks for elevation to internationally acclaimed heritage properties.
In his remarks delivered via Zoom, African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) Executive Director Souayibou Varissou, heaped praise on Tanzania for its work, particularly in striking the right balance between conservation and development.
“Tanzania has no choice other than to continue to take a lead in this initiative and demonstrate to the world that heritage can be used as a source of uplifting lives,” he counseled.
As of July 2021, Africa is underrepresented on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List with only 139 Sites listed from 1154 in the world, thus constituting only 12 per cent representation.
The continent is however also over-represented on the World Heritage List in Danger with 21 Sites from 52 Sites listed in danger in the world, thus constituting 40 per cent of the List.
In December, last year President Samia Suluhu Hassan graced the water filling of the new Julius Nyerere hydropower dam (JNHPP). The filling of water in the dam follows the completion of the construction of the diversion channel at the project. The dam measures about 916 km2 and has a capacity of storing up to 33.2 billion m3 of water.
It is the largest hydropower plant in East Africa, the fourth-largest in Africa and the ninth-largest in the world.
The JNHPP is planned to have an installed capacity of 2,115MW when completed and be able to produce 5,920GWh of power annually.
