THE US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released satellite images showing the impact of deforestation in the region around Gombe National Park in western Tanzania. NASA collaborated with the US Geological Survey (USGS) to capture the images with the Landsat satellite in an effort to help conserve chimpanzees, which are an endangered species. There are approximately 345,000 or fewer chimps left in the wild and classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Chimpanzees in the region used to live in an uninterrupted belt of forest and woodlands from Lake Tanganyika westward through Uganda and the Congo Basin to western Africa. It was in the early 1970s, 10 or so years after famous British primatologist Dr Jane Goodall first arrived in the region and began observing chimpanzees, that forest began to be cut down. “Today the belt per se has gone because it's being divided into increasingly small fragments,” said Dr Goodall (82), who is still involved in conservation efforts at her namesake institute. Increased pressures on the land due to a population explosion and poverty have led to the forest being cleared for agriculture and local logging as well as charcoal production.But NASA, the USGS, and the Jane Goodall Institute have collaborated in an effort to conserve the chimps and the forest. According to Dr Lilian Pintea, vice president of conservation science at the Jane Goodall Institute: “When we first got our landsat satellite images from '72 and '99, we made a natural colour composite of Gombe and the area outside Gombe and put them side-by-side and realised that lots of deforestation happened.”“You can see it, the villages lost maybe 90 per cent to 80 per cent of the forest cover.”“And they (the villagers) will tell stories about how the hills were covered in forest.” “But then when you show them a picture, it's very shocking to everybody, realising what has been lost.”“When deforestation happens, important ecological functions and services are lost - impacting both chimps and people.”“The chimpanzees lose feeding and nesting grounds, and it is very difficult for the territorial animals to shift their home range to another location.”“People lose local forest resources like honey or specific valuable tree species, as well as suffer alterations of the local water cycle that make erosion and flash flooding new problems.”Villagers were motivated to find new ways to sustainably manage their land and to protect the health of the areas.The Jane Goodall Institute and communities started a forest monitoring programme to provide training and equip community members with GPS-enabled devices to document forest activities.Together with the institute, villages developed land use plans for mapping where to build homes, what areas could support agriculture, and where it was best to harvest the forest sustainably. “It was really exciting to see the impacts of these images on the villagers,” Dr Goodall said. “And to see them sitting around and identifying sacred places, and that enabled them to do these land use management plans, and that's made all the difference,” she added. According to NASA, tree cover is returning, and Earth observations are now being used to show progress and inspire continued action.This helps protect soil needed for agriculture and clean drinking water, and safeguards forest health. It also ensures the long-term survival of Gombe's famous chimpanzees and those across western Tanzania. “I think that there's no question but that NASA with its satellite imagery used in the right way, it can be really helpful for conservation,” Dr Goodall said.Dr Pintea added: “We cannot do this project if the Landsat programme doesn’t deliver this open data to the scientific community.”She explained that NASA and the USGS's open data policy and research funding support has allowed him and other scientists to build a satellite-based decision support system for monitoring habitat health, not only in Gombe but for the entire chimpanzee range in Africa.“We are benefiting from these long-term investments now,” Dr Pintea noted.
Donald Trump was sworn in yesterday as the 45th President of the United States during a historic transfer of power that encapsulates American democracy even in politically divisive times. President Trump's speech hit on a lot of the themes he used during his campaign. He said his presidency represents a "transfer of power" away from Washington and back to the American people. "This moment is your moment, it belongs to you," he said, addressing Americans.Trump, President Barack Obama and their families attended the inauguration ceremony at Capitol.The traditions of the day began unfolding early yesterday morning. Trump and his family attended a private worship service at St. John's Church, known as the church of presidents. The Obamas greeted Trump and the new First Lady Melania Trump at the North Portico of the White House before hosting them for tea.Obama left the White House for the final time as president, riding alongside Trump to Capitol Hill.Earlier in the morning, Obama wrote a letter to Trump and left it on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, as outgoing presidents typically do for their successors. As Obama left the Oval Office for the final time, he was asked if he had any words for the American people. "Thank you," Obama said.Trump took the oath of office on the West Front of the Capitol just before noon, swearing to preserve, protect and defend the US constitution. That moment marked the culmination of a stunning upset victory in last year's bitter presidential election.Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also attended the ceremonies. Hillary Clinton, who Trump defeated in the November election, was also at the Capitol in a show of support for national unity and the peaceful transfer of presidential authority.The customs and symbolism that played out -- from Trump's ride to the Capitol with Obama to the First Couple's dance at an inaugural ball -- are familiar. But the circumstances of this inauguration -- the 58th in the nation's history -- could hardly be more unconventional.When the presidential primary season began nearly a year ago, few thought Trump could survive the battle for the Republican nomination -- much less beat Clinton to win the presidency. He became the oldest president sworn in for a first term and the first president with no previous diplomatic, political or military executive experience. But his populist campaign deeply resonated with Americans who were fed up with Washington's political class and felt left behind in the globalizing economy. Yesterday morning, Trump heralded his inauguration in typical style -- with an early morning tweet after waking up in Blair House, the official government residence across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.Trump began a day of ceremony by attending the traditional inauguration day worship service. When they arrived at the White House, Melania Trump brought a gift for the Obamas in a blue box wrapped in a bow, which the President handed into an aide before returning for a photo.Trump took the oath of office, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, on two Bibles, one that he used as a child and the other used by Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration.But his inauguration was met with a sense of anxiety across the world.The Germans are angry. The Chinese are downright furious. Leaders of NATO are nervous, while their counterparts at the European Union are alarmed.Trumps remarks in a string of discursive and sometimes contradictory interviews have escalated tensions with China while also infuriating allies and institutions critical to America’s traditional leadership of the West.No one knows where exactly he is headed — except that the one country he is not criticizing is Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. For now. And that he is an enthusiastic cheerleader of Brexit and an unaffiliated Britain. For now.Trump’s unpredictability is perhaps his most predictable characteristic. The world is accustomed to his provocative Twitter messages, but is less clear about whether his remarks represent meaningful new policy guidelines, personal judgments or passing whims. In the interviews, Trump described the European Union as “basically a vehicle for Germany” and predicted that the bloc would probably see other countries follow Britain’s example and vote to leave.Trump also said Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, had made a “catastrophic mistake” in allowing refugees to pour into Europe.The barrage of inflammatory comments in joint interviews published Sunday and Monday in Britain and Germany elicited alarm and outrage in Europe, even as Merkel dryly characterized Trump’s positions as nothing new.“They have been known for a while — my positions are also known,” Merkel said Monday in Berlin. “I think we Europeans have control of our destiny.”Her clipped response came as officials and analysts struggled with how to interpret Trump’s remarks, as well as how to react to them.For good measure, Trump had also infuriated China by using an interview on Friday with The Wall Street Journal to again question China’s longstanding One China policy. It holds that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the mainland.On Monday, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said that anyone trying to use the status of Taiwan for negotiations would be “smashing their feet by lifting a rock” and would face broad and strong opposition from the Chinese government and people, as well as the international community. She added that “not everything in the world can be bargained or traded off.”The English-language China Daily accused Trump of “playing with fire,” saying that if Taiwan became up for negotiation, as Trump suggested to The Journal, “Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves.”In Africa, there is uncertainty over Trump's presidency, with many people predicting that it will likely lead to a reduction of US aid and trade with the continent. TRUMP'S FINGER ON THE NUCLEAR BUTTONIt's a plain, bulging leather satchel, but inside it has the ominous power to unleash a nuclear Armageddon.And yesterday it fell into Trump's control.After he was sworn in as president, Trump inherited control of the "football," the briefcase that carries the procedures and communications equipment that allow the US leader to launch nuclear missiles.The bag, aluminum-framed and weighing 20 kilograms goes everywhere he goes, carried by a military aid.Trump also gets, with the satchel, the "biscuit" - a pocket-sized card with the codes the president needs to authenticate his command to launch a nuclear attack.The football has been omnipresent with the leader of the world's most powerful nation since around 1963, according to Smithsonian magazine.It has to stay close to the president, given that he will have less than five minutes to react before nuclear missiles launched at the US by an airstrike.It is the president's sole decision, and he must input the codes in secure communications with a Pentagon command and control centre to launch US nuclear weapons."He doesn't have to check with anybody," vice president Dick Cheney said in 2008."He doesn't have to call the Congress. He doesn't have to check with the courts. He has that authority because of the nature of the world we live in."Given that the power accrued to him as soon as he was sworn in as president yesterday, Trump will have been briefed on the procedures of the football, which contains documents outlining his choices for an attack: how strong it should be and which targets to hit, for example.A former White House military aide, Col. Buzz Patterson, compared the documents to a fast-food restaurant menu."It's like picking one out of Column A and two out of Column B," he said, according to Smithsonian.Responsibility for US nuclear power was made an issue in the presidential election. President Barack Obama sassed Trump during the election campaign last year as too "erratic" to be entrusted with that power."If somebody can't handle a Twitter account, they can't handle the nuclear codes," Obama quipped.Trump is indeed a newcomer to the issues of deterrence strategy, but in December he made clear his view that the US must maintain a powerful nuclear arsenal.Responding to Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement that Moscow needs to strengthen its own nuclear force, Trump responded by tweet: "The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes."
NEWS that Buzwagi Gold Mine owned by Acacia will close come December this year left members of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Minerals in shock yesterday after a tour of the mine The mine was discovered in 1950 whereas mining activities in earnest started in 2009 but it is expected to shut down in December because it has run out of gold reserves. After arriving at the mine yesterday, members of the committee John Heche, Dustani Kitandula and Ikupa Alex, requested clarification following fears that the mine will shut down and they were briefed that it is indeed true that the mine will close in December.“News that the mine will shut down shocked us, please tell us the truth about the mine being shut down. Have the employees been informed about the matter so that they can prepare themselves psychologically? Once it shuts down, will the government benefit in any way?” queried Kitandula who is also a Member of Parliament for Mkinga. Before the management of the mine could clarify, Dotto Biteko, wanted to know what mark would the mine have left for the people of Kahama that they can be proud of because there are countries which had mines but after they shut down locals were left to languish in poverty.When clarifying, the manager of the mine Asa Mwaipopo said that after reaching cut three in mining gold, it has become evident that gold reserves are running out but at the moment the mine is expanding mining areas to keep the mine going.Mwaipopo said that in this year’s strategy they plan to add cut four in the mining of gold and if it will prove futile then that would be the end of mining activities.He added if cut four fails then they will recycle old rocks to extract gold for two and finally will close the largest mine in the country for good.He also said that communities around the mine have benefitted in many ways since they have built schools, dispensaries, laboratories, roads and promoted sports.Mwaipopo said that the management is yet to officially inform employees because by doing so it will likely demoralise them.
THE government is to amend the law on higher education loans to accommodate diploma courses in priority disciplines and not degree programmes only as is the case now, education minister Joyce Ndalichako said yesterday. Ndalichako, who is Minister for Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, was explaining to the parliamentary Legal Affairs committee about various education-related legislations including the Higher Education Students Education Board (HESLB) bill, section 178.“For now we are only issuing loans to students pursuing degrees, but we have noticed that there is a need to offer the same even to those pursuing diplomas in courses that are a government priority for now,” she said.However, members of the committee queried the powers vested in the minister to select which courses are a priority to the nation.The meeting was attended by various education stakeholders who also pointed out sector areas that need changes that the government should work on.These include the addition of board members to legal aid committees as well as a proper definition of a lawyer.The committee’s chairman, Mohamed Mchengerwa, said the views aired by the stakeholders will be taken aboard for further review.The current fifth phase government has recently taken steps to introduce new guidelines for the issuance of loans to higher learning students.In its directive, the government announced that it will prioritise courses that are in line with the five year National Development Plan and the National Development Vision of 2025, which includes courses that will bring out professionals that can help fast-track the industrialisation policy.The move sparked an outcry from education sector analysts who pointed out that it is likely to cause a crisis in the sense that parents/guardians will now have to carry the sponsorship burden for students pursuing so-called non-priority courses.About 483 billion/- was set aside /- in the current 2016/2017 government budget to support about 119,012 students.
BANK of Tanzania (BoT) governor Prof Benno Ndulu has assured local sugar producers of the government’s commitment to providing a conducive environment for investment so that the country becomes self-sufficient in the popular sweetener by 2021 Speaking on a visit to the prominent Kagera Sugar Limited (KSL) company in Kagera Region, governor Ndulu acknowledged KSL’s “impressive track record” and pledged to help the company explore various options for further expansion.“We expect that through our support, KSL will be able to contribute more to the national economy, by increasing employment opportunities, boosting foreign exchange earnings through sugar exports, contributing to the exchequer through various taxes, and generally being an industrialisation role model for the country,” he said.The KSL management briefed Prof Ndulu on the company’s history, current status, and plans for major expansion and production going forward.The central bank boss said he was impressed by the company’s commitment to an effective manpower development programme across all levels, leading to steadily increasing production levels since being privatised in 2001/2002.It started off as a much smaller sugar plant before being damaged during the war with Uganda in 1978, and replaced with a larger facility formally commissioned in 1982 and ushering in the current KSL set-up.KSL is currently one of the country's four top sugar plants, alongside Tanganyika Plantation Company (TPC), Mtibwa and Kilombero factories which, according to the state-run Tanzania Sugar Board (TSB), currently supply 291,000 metric tons of the sweetener annually against a national consumer demand of about 590,000 mts.Industry and Trade Minister Charles Mwijage last October challenged the firms to "find new alternatives and ways to increase the production of the sugar product that will eventually make the prices more stable because of abundant availability.”Despite a drought that the region has experienced for the past year, the factory is targeting to produce a record 68,000 metric tonnes of sugar this season, in line with President John Magufuli’s vision of ensuring Tanzania becomes self-sufficient in sugar by 2021.Chief executive officer Ashwin Rana outlined the company’s ambitious growth programme for the next five years, including better utilisation of land, water and human resources at its disposal to achieve maximum growth in the sugar sector.The company’s much-vaunted manpower development programme includes annual recruitment of college graduates who undergo intensive training courses as part of integration, sugar technology training for operators, and artisan skills development for non-graduates. Meanwhile, KSL board chairman Seif A. Seif called on the government to look into the possibility of Tanzania following the example of other leading sugar producing countries “by ensuring favourable financial terms for investors engaged in sugar production”.Seif pointed out that by their very nature, the successful implementation of most large-scale agricultural projects involves many years of investment and effort.“The sugar production business is therefore not sustainable at commercial bank rates. Government support through development banks such as TIB would ensure that this country produces enough sugar for domestic consumption and becomes a major exporter of sugar to the region,” he said.According to Seif, since KSL’s main ambition is to become the country’s leading sugar producer, it will not stand idle watching huge quantities of sugar being imported every year while Tanzania has more than enough capacity and resources to produce the commodity in bulk locally.
STAKEHOLDERS in the education sector have called on the government to think of changing the current education system, saying it was creating more gaps in the society as well as producing thousands of jobless graduates yearly. The call was made yesterday in Dar es Salaam during the launch of HakiElimu’s five-year action plan.HakiElimu, an non-profit based organisation dedicated to promoting education in the country, launched the action plan to push for transformation and improvement of the education sector in the country.Speaking during the event, Prof Kitila Mkumbo from the University of Dar es Salaam faulted the current education system saying that if left it would continue to produce thousands of unskilled and unabsorbed graduates.He said the government needed to develop goals on how the education system in Tanzania should look like for the short and long term.Prof Kitila mentioned another huge problem in the country’s sector as the government’s decision to keep changing the curriculum without retraining teachers to cope with the new curriculum, books and learning materials.“We can also see inequality in education is hastily growing due to the current education system and this will never change without the country itself committing to adjust it. There is a disorganised higher education system as well,” he added.For his part, HakiElimu Executive Director John Kallage said the organisation will invest more on conducting various research activities to come up with evidence-based recommendations for the improvement of the sector.With support from the Swedish government and other development partners, the 2017/21 action plan will seek to achieve changes and review various policies to promote equity, inclusivity and effective learning.According to him, despite various efforts to improve education, the sector has continued to be affected by a number of bottlenecks which need more joint efforts to address.“By investing in research and exposing out accurate information about the shortcomings in the education sector, HakiElimu believes education and politics in Tanzania are inseparable issues. Unless there is democracy and transparency within the education system, people will continue to struggle,” he said.Kallage said that when implementing the plan, HakiElimu will also work to ensure that the 2014 Education Policy is well implemented with a proper action plan.For her part, Swedish Ambassador to Tanzania Katarina Rangnitt commended HakiElimu for pushing for quality education and system in the country.“Your strength in research in the education sector is really remarkable...you are doing a very good job to fight for the right to education for children. We pledge to continue supporting initiatives like these,” she said.According to her, Sweden has provided USD3 million in support for implementation of the action plan for the next three years and hopes to see the education sector improved.
The government is to amend the law on higher education loans to accommodate diploma courses in priority disciplines and not degree programmes only as is the case now, education minister Joyce Ndalichako said yesterday. Ndalichako, who is Minister for Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, was explaining to the parliamentary Legal Affairs committee about various education-related legislations including the Higher Education Students Education Board (HESLB) bill, section 178. “For now we are only issuing loans to students pursuing degrees, but we have noticed that there is a need to offer the same even to those pursuing diplomas in courses that are a government priority for now,” she said. However, members of the committee queried the powers vested in the minister to select which courses are a priority to the nation. The meeting was attended by various education stakeholders who also pointed out sector areas that need changes that the government should work on. These include the addition of board members to legal aid committees as well as a proper definition of a lawyer. The committee’s chairman, Mohamed Mchengerwa, said the views aired by the stakeholders will be taken aboard for further review. The current fifth phase government has recently taken steps to introduce new guidelines for the issuance of loans to higher learning students. In its directive, the government announced that it will prioritise courses that are in line with the five year National Development Plan and the National Development Vision of 2025, which includes courses that will bring out professionals that can help fast-track the industrialisation policy. The move sparked an outcry from education sector analysts who pointed out that it is likely to cause a crisis in the sense that parents/guardians will now have to carry the sponsorship burden for students pursuing so-called non-priority courses.About 483 billion/- was set aside /- in the current 2016/2017 government budget to support about 119,012 students.
