Govt assesses Uluguru Mountain three-day fire damage
MOROGORO: A FIRE that raged across the Uluguru Mountains in Morogoro Region, vital for the ecological health and water supply of the area and its neighbouring regions, has been successfully extinguished.
The collective efforts of the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) and local communities helped to put out the blaze, which lasted three days and was reportedly ignited by agricultural practices such as field burning and charcoal production.
Morogoro District Commissioner Mussa Kilakala told the Daily News over the phone that assessments are currently underway to evaluate the full extent of the damage.
He said it was likely that the fire had severe impact on vital water sources for Morogoro and neighbouring regions.
Chief Conservator of Uluguru Mountains Nature Reserve, Bernadeta Chile said that the fire spread into various areas of Morogoro including Bigwa Kisiwani, Ualimu and Bong’ola.
Chile also addressed the broader challenges facing the Uluguru Mountains, including land clearing for agriculture activities, charcoal production, the use of fire for hunting and some traditional practices that involve burning for cultural rituals, which exacerbate the problem.
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Efforts are ongoing to address the issues and prevent future incidents, including educating the public about the harmful effects of slash-and-burn agriculture and charcoal production within the protected mountain reserves.
Recently, Morogoro Regional Commissioner Mr Adam Malima proposed implementing strict penalties for individuals involved in environmental destruction and the burning of natural forests, including protected areas.
The Uluguru Mountains are one of the Eastern Arc Mountain blocks which are the ancient crystalline mountains running from Taita Hills in Kenya to the Makambako Gap, South West of the Udzungwa Mountains, in Tanzania.
The forests of the Uluguru Mountains are of great importance to a wide range of different stakeholders at local, regional, national and international levels.
Apart from providing the local communities with a reliable water resource for growing agricultural products, the catchment value is much higher because the Mountains are the only major water source for the city of Dar es Salaam, Morogoro Municipal and parts of Morogoro and Coast Regions.
In terms of biodiversity, the Uluguru Mountains are internationally recognised as a well-known “hot-spot” with several endemic species of both fauna and flora.
