IRREPLACEABLE
Selous Game Reserve
Tanzania
nside Tanzania lies a nearly undisturbed tract
of land roughly the size of Switzerland.
The Selous Game Reserve is one of the last
areas of wilderness left on Earth. Due to
its importance as a largely untouched habitat this vast
expanse was named a World Heritage Site in 1982. It is
also an Important Bird & Biodiversity Area (IBA) and Key
Biodiversity Area (KBA) hosting a long list of species typical
to the savanna regions of Africa.
Selous contains many different ecosystems, which serve
as an important habitat for many animals, including the
largest number of African Buffalo Syncerus caffer in Africa,
as well as extensive populations of Lions Panthera leo and
African Elephants Loxodonta africana (both Vulnerable).
It is also a wintering ground for the Madagascar Pond-
heron Ardeola idae (Endangered), which finds shelter in its
extensive wetlands.
That’s why BirdLife is tirelessly working to push for
measures to protect IBAs. BirdLife joins the World Wildlife
Fund, IUCN and other conservation organisations in
advising the Government of Tanzania of the consequences
of building a dam at Selous, and asking them to consider
alternative options for energy generation.
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That may be about to change. In late April, the Tanzanian
government opened up a tender to clear a large swathe
of vegetation inside Selous. The government most likely
wants to build a hydropower dam called the Stiegler’s
Gorge Dam. This decision is in breach of Tanzanian
environmental legislation and goes against the World
Heritage Committee position against dams with large
reservoirs being built in World Heritage sites.
Clearing land would directly impact the species within
the reserve by reducing their habitat, as well as indirectly
affecting them by changing the environmental conditions
around the proposed dam. The creation of more roads
could also open the land to poaching.
Unfortunately, Selous is not the only important ecological
area threatened by plans to build a dam. In a recent
assessment of IBAs in Danger around the world, BirdLife
found dams were the number one threat to these areas.
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B E E - E A T E R
Merops boehmi
Any birdwatcher will be able to recognise the bright colors
and sharp beak of this bee-eater. These birds nest in holes
in cliffs, and eat small insects including, yes, bees.
birdlife
birdlifE • • Xxxxxxx
jul-sep 2018