KINAPA welcomes Italians to scale Mount Kilimanjaro

KILIMANJARO: THE Kilimanjaro National Park (KINAPA) is ready to team up with a group of Italians now interested in scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, through the Umbwe route in Moshi Rural District.

In a telephone interview yesterday, KINAPA Conservationist Anjela Nyaki encouraged Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) of Bergamo Province to support the initiatives to save Mount Kilimanjaro, through their worldwide campaign known as “Save the Mountains and their cultural heritage”.

CAI Director Mr Antonio Locatelli has said that his organisation is aware that Mount Kilimanjaro is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Tanzania that should be protected and maintained for the current and future generations.

CAI has promised to train three officers from KINAPA in Italy on how to climb a mountain through difficult route like Umbwe and they shall soon leave for Italy when plans for their travel are accomplished.

“This mountain is home to a variety of unique plants and animals and its glaciers are a major source of water for the surrounding region. We support President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s efforts to introduce clean energy idea that shall save forest surrounding this highest peak of Africa” Mr Locatelli says.

Ms Nyaki admitted that though Mount Kilimanjaro faces a number of environmental threats, including deforestation, climate change and pollution, the government’s efforts, coupled with those of CEI to provide clean energy to people shall eventually save the mountain.

President Samia Suluhu has already announced fresh sweeping climate package aimed at widening access and use of clean energy by between 80 and 90 per cent during the next 10 years.

The new codified state plan includes a 12-months grace period for all institutions providing services to more than 300 people to use clean cooking energy solutions.

CEI is committed to teaming up with local authorities to make sure that deforestation is no longer a threat to Mount Kilimanjaro.

KINAPA and CEI shall cooperate to make sure that the mountain’s forests are no longer cleared for agriculture, logging and charcoal production.

Deforestation should not lead to soil erosion, which is causes the glaciers to melt more quickly.

According to Ms Nyaki, Climate change has a major impact on Mount Kilimanjaro, since the mountain’s glaciers are melting at an alarming rate and the average temperature rises.

CEI intends to introduce plans as part of their Community Social Responsibility (CSR) to fight pollution is a major threat to Mount Kilimanjaro.

Mr Locatelli mentioned a number of things that can be done to protect the environment of Mount Kilimanjaro.

He says there is a need to reduce deforestation and support the government’s idea to ban logging in the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park.

Mount Kilimanjaro has served as the background for most of the art, literature and films about East Africa that have been produced outside of Africa.

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The Mountain is vital to many of the people of northern Tanzania’s oral traditions, religion and art.

It was designated a World Heritage Site in 1989 in appreciation of its beauty, cultural value and grandeur (it is Africa’s tallest peak).

The peak is the principal source of water, food, fuel and construction materials for the inhabitants of north central Tanzania, in addition to its cultural and spiritual significance