The Serengeti Highway is a proposed government construction project to build a national highway across the northern part of the Serengeti National Park. The debate continues...
Serengeti National Park is the epitome of any African safari adventure. As someone who has personally experienced the splendor the Great Migration and the unfathomable amount of wildlife present, I find it almost impossible to imagine a commercial highway bisecting the park. The juxtaposition of two diverse pictures makes me wonder what will happen to the Serengeti in the future.
The highway would connect Lake Victoria and the city of Arusha and proposes a new medium for improved transportation of goods. This increased transportation of goods (mostly produce) and potentially increased tourist activity are two of the main motives for the highway, which is funded by the Chinese. Instead of going around the national park, commercial traders could take the hypotenuse, so to speak, and drastically decrease the amount of time needed to transport their goods. The project promises to be an important tool for economic development, but it also offers a substantial sum to government officials in particular. As a result, it is likely that the law will eventually, inevitably pass. A lot of the profit, however, will go directly (and illegally) to the people overseeing the project instead of trickling down through the economy.
People have recognized that connecting Lake Victoria and Arusha could be very beneficial for the country's development, but there are other factors to consider as well. Although the proposed highway has economic benefits, it intersects an iconic World Heritage Site that is home to millions of diverse animals and vegetation species. A Blanton article argues that the project would cause irreversible damage to the unique Serengeti ecosystem; however, he concurs that the highway is “inevitable” since it brings so much money to the government officials. Holdo et al particularly focuses on the ramifications for ecosystem biodiversity and habitat loss, should the highway be fully implemented. Given the importance of the wildebeest migration, both for its tourism potential and ecological significance, the authors advocate further research on the potential consequences of habitat fragmentation. National Geographic calls this project a "disaster."
The highway would connect Lake Victoria and the city of Arusha and proposes a new medium for improved transportation of goods. This increased transportation of goods (mostly produce) and potentially increased tourist activity are two of the main motives for the highway, which is funded by the Chinese. Instead of going around the national park, commercial traders could take the hypotenuse, so to speak, and drastically decrease the amount of time needed to transport their goods. The project promises to be an important tool for economic development, but it also offers a substantial sum to government officials in particular. As a result, it is likely that the law will eventually, inevitably pass. A lot of the profit, however, will go directly (and illegally) to the people overseeing the project instead of trickling down through the economy.
People have recognized that connecting Lake Victoria and Arusha could be very beneficial for the country's development, but there are other factors to consider as well. Although the proposed highway has economic benefits, it intersects an iconic World Heritage Site that is home to millions of diverse animals and vegetation species. A Blanton article argues that the project would cause irreversible damage to the unique Serengeti ecosystem; however, he concurs that the highway is “inevitable” since it brings so much money to the government officials. Holdo et al particularly focuses on the ramifications for ecosystem biodiversity and habitat loss, should the highway be fully implemented. Given the importance of the wildebeest migration, both for its tourism potential and ecological significance, the authors advocate further research on the potential consequences of habitat fragmentation. National Geographic calls this project a "disaster."
The Serengeti Highway project touches on key ideas of the environment, tourism, government corruption, and the future of Tanzania. It is a common topic of discussion, especially for those that live close to the area or lead lives that would be affected by the construction. Even our priests and seminarians discussed this proposal around the dinner table. As of now, an existing dirt road between Lake Victoria and Arusha has been improved; the court ruled against a paved commercial highway. That is the extent to which a conclusion has been reached.