IN MID-OCTOBER, THE Kilimanjaro conservation area in Northern Tanzania, home to the highest free-standing mountain in the world and UNESCO World Heritage Site, was ravaged by a deadly forest fire across 90sqkm of pristine green earth.
Although the inferno was reportedly the result of a careless fire lit to cook food, it required an army of volunteers and firefighters to contain it.
Together, they spent tireless days engulfed in smoke, ashes and uncertainty to save flora and fauna and the mighty mountain that millions of people in both Kenya and Tanzania rely on for subsistence.
The lush alpine vegetation in the shadow of the majestic 5,895m Mount Kilimanjaro has had humanity in awe for centuries. But the fire was not an isolated incident. Environmental experts opine that the effects of climate change will continue to be seen on the mountain, regarded as one of Africa’s most diverse and unique ecosystems.
“We observed on Kilimanjaro, that the climate is getting drier and therefore, these fires are becoming more frequent… [but] all the people are thinking about are the glaciers on Kilimanjaro,” says Hemp Andreas, a researcher from the University of Bayreuth in Germany, who has been studying the vegetation on the mountain since the late 80s.
“Decreasing rainfall patterns recorded on the ground in the area also confirm this,” says Mateso Said, a researcher at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Arusha, Tanzania, very close to the mountain. Said studies the impact these changes have on local communities.
This story is from the December - January 2021 edition of Forbes Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December - January 2021 edition of Forbes Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Down To Earth
A new era in satellite technology offers space-down insight. Here are some fascinating world views.
Could A Digital Twin Save Your Life?
Human digital twins are quickly moving beyond manufacturing and into the medical world advancing cancer care, soeeding up drug development, personalizing clinical trials, and much more.
The All-Rounder In Ecotourism
An exclusive interview with renowned Kenya-born landscape architect and pioneer of sustainable tourism Hitesh Mehta. His other fascinating career? Representing East Africa and Kenya in first-class cricket and playing in three ICC World Cup tournaments in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Wheeler-Deeler
Alex Bouaziz’s HR company became the fastest-growing software startup in Silicon Valley history by promising to take the pain out of overseas hiring. But in its rush to a $12 billion valuation, regulators worry it may have been cutting the very compliance corners it’s supposedly maintaining.
Culture Couture
Niger designer Alia Baré, also the daughter of a former president, is working to weave together a positive narrative of her country through fashion.
'We Can Build A Real Unicorn Out Of Africa, Creating Impact'
Manish Sardana, the Nairobi-based co-founder of edtech startup Craydel, wants to democratize access to higher education in Africa and eradicate the study-abroad agent market.
A Record Year For Elections, 2024 Will Determine Global Geopolitics
We are all hopeful that 2024 will definitely bring better sense to people, particularly to those in power to make sincere amends to the lapses of the past.
For The Record
A Brazilian producer and a Kenyan singer came together to create a song last year that sOared ujp music charts globally, and in collaborating With a an India-born director for the video, it is NOW a milestone for African sound.
The Best Game
SA20 Commissioner and former South African cricketer Graeme Smith on the ambition to create the biggest league outside of India, and why putting on a show off the pitch is as important to attract a new audience.
Cream Of The Crop
Food is the future and these proactive startups are focused on shifting agricultural practices to prepare for what is to come.