Protecting Wildlife and Tourism in East Africa

[XemaSab]

The United States has stepped in to finance efforts to save one of East Africa’s most prized ecosystems, the Mara River basin, which spans Kenya and Tanzania.

The $3 million three-year program is financed by the United States Agency for International Development in partnership with the East African Community, a regional intergovernmental organization linking Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

The program aims to restore and protect the Mara River basin’s rich biodiversity — a key component of the tourism industry on which several countries in the region depend.

“We have all made a contribution to the environmental degradation and now all of us have to do something about it”, said Dr Julius Rotich, the E.A.C.’s deputy secretary general, in a statement.

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/protecting-wildlife-and-tourism-in-east-africa/?hp

[Turborama]

1. Reuters: Kenya's hippos in drought crisis (Video)

Some background covered in this Reuters report...

Kenya's worst drought in years is having a serious impact on the country's wildlife, leading conservationists to feed hippos in some national parks to stop them from perishing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Apee3rjau9g

:kick: (recommended earlier)