Rwanda conservation news update – Renewed focus on re-forestation

RWANDA’S RE-FORESTATION GATHERS MOMENTUM

Efforts to increase forest cover to 30 percent of Rwanda by 2020 have gathered momentum with a broad based forestry workshop taking place in Kigali from today. 2011 is the United Nation’s ‘Year of the Forests’ and Rwanda has taken the lead in the region to commit to major forest restoration where necessary and forest protection of existing forests. The Global Environment Facility has added a further 6 million US Dollars to the various Rwandan programmes already underway or about to start, creating community awareness and participation in the setting up of tree nurseries and planting of indigenous species. As many as six areas across Rwanda have been designated for re-forestation over the next several years according to a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Rwanda government, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in short IUCN, and the UN’s Forum on Forests.

Rwanda, again leading in conservation where others ponder and fail.

Uganda aviation news – Entebbe cleared for A 380 emergency diversions

ENTEBBE INTERNATIONAL CLEARED AS AN A380 EMERGENCY LANDING AIRPORT

The Civil Aviation Authority over the weekend released information that the airport was cleared by an inspection panel of Emirates, Dubai’s award winning airline, to serve as an emergency landing airport, following successful ‘simulations’ being carried out. It is understood that the airline was seeking landing site options for emergency diversions which might occur in flight. A source at the CAA added that the airport was cleared however with the restriction that upon landing the two outer engines needed to be shut down for taxiing as the width of runway and taxiway was not yet expanded to the size an A 380 would under normal circumstances require to taxi under all four engines running.

Entebbe is due for another major expansion in coming years, which will include added apron spaces for aircrafts to be parked, the eventual relocation of the cargo centre to the ‘old airport’ side and the doubling in size of the passenger terminal to cater for the anticipated growth in air traffic.

Watch this space.

 

 

Tanzania conservation news update – Wild Dog Project gets Vodacom (T) financing

WILD DOG PROJECT GETS VODACOM SUPPORT

Vodacom, one of Tanzania’s leading mobile telecom companies, has pledged to support a wild dog, aka hunting or painted dog conservation project in the Serengeti National Park, following reports that an increasing number of these increasingly rare animals have been poisoned by cattle herders.

It is the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute which is responsible for the rollout of the project, aimed to restore hunting dog population numbers and ensure that these animals are receiving veterinary care when needed, as besides poaching disease has been another factor for the rapid disappearance of the species.

Vodacom has pledged as much as 450.000 US Dollars in support of the project over the next three years and this level of funding has been hailed as a major breakthrough in the country’s leading private sector companies getting involved in wildlife conservation through reputable organizations.

The project was launched over the weekend, in the presence of the Vodacom Tanzania Chief Executive Mr. D. Mare, by the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Hon. Ezekiel Maige.