Players fear for tourism over claims of Ruaha rights abuses

Alarmed by the potential repercussions, the Tourism Confederation of Tanzania (TCT) and Ruaha National Park stakeholders are ringing alarm bells, wary of the devastating impact the unfounded claims could have on the $3.4 billion tourism industry.

TCT CEO Lathifa Sykes says in a statement that the confederation’s members are “deeply” concerned over what they perceive as a coordinated attack on Tanapa – the state-run custodian of 21 national parks – that could scuttle the Tanzania’s endeavour of attracting at least five million tourists annually by 2025 and earn the country $6.6 billion in receipts.

She adds that the “distorted and malicious” claims could result in a decline in the number of tourist arrivals as travellers who prioritise destinations with clean human rights records might choose to go elsewhere.

“The looming threat to Tanzania’s target of $6.6 billion in revenues from tourism is not just theoretical, it carries real-world implications,” Ms Sykes notes.

Indeed, hotels, restaurants, tour operators, bureaus de change, horticultural farmers and fuel suppliers, among others, depend significantly on a steady inflow of tourists to sustain their businesses.

“A plunge in tourism revenue spells an economic slump for the countless families and communities whose livelihoods hinge on a thriving tourism industry,” she says.

Ms Sykes adds that it is not only businesses that stand to suffer and local communities, many of which have been woven into the fabric of the tourism industry, might face dire economic hardships.

Reduced tourist demand translates into fewer job opportunities and diminishing incomes. Official estimates indicate that tourism is responsible for 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs.

“These allegations are potent enough to sway the perceptions of potential visitors. In an industry where reputation is paramount, even perceptions of misconduct could be catastrophic,” Ms Sykes says.

Expressing their unwavering support for Tanapa, TCT and Ruaha tourism players denounced the accusations as “baseless and misleading”, saying they distort the historical and factual context.

“This, we feel, is highly misleading as far as facts and history are concerned,” Ms Sykes says.

The controversy revolves around the Usangu water catchment, which was incorporated into Ruaha National Park in 2008.

TCT and Ruaha National Park tourism players find it perplexing that the allegations have surfaced 16 years later.

Historical data indicates that by 2003, most rivers in Tanzania recorded flows at merely one-third of their 1988 levels.

The decline was primarily attributed to agricultural and pastoral activities, not historic human habitation, Ms Sykes says, adding that the Great Ruaha River (GRR) was similarly affected, exacerbating the issue.

The statement says that the Usangu region’s original pastoral community, the Wasangu tribe, historically had minimal impact on the area due to their low population and limited cattle numbers.

The GRR’s dwindling water flow severely affected Tanzania’s hydroelectric power generation, which supplied two-thirds of the nation’s electricity from dams situated downstream, she argues.

“The resultant water shortages led to chronic electricity deficits, disrupting industry, commerce, and governmental operations” Ms. Sykes notes.

Additionally, wildlife populations within the park, such as buffalo, experienced significant declines during the same period, a fact documented by Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (Tawiri’s) census.

In 1911, the human population of German East Africa, which included parts of modern-day Burundi and Rwanda, was 8 million. By 1964, Tanzania alone had 9 million people.

“Today, the population stands at over 60 million and is projected to reach 120 million by 2050. This sharp increase in population intensifies the demand for resources, especially water,” Ms Sykes explains.

For instance, producing just one litre of milk requires 2,000 litres of water, while a kilogramme of rice demands 5,000 litres, and producing a kilogramme of beef takes 22,000 litres, she adds.

Considering these figures, Ms Sykes explains, it becomes clear why water resources are under immense pressure.

This issue is further complicated by large-scale cattle ownership, TCT argues, adding that recently, one pastoralist claimed to own 7000 cattle, and another near the eastern part of Ruaha National Park reported having 3000 cattle.

“These claims highlight the unsustainable practices that are exhausting water resources” she explains.

As a result, the government decided to extend Ruaha National Park to include the Usangu water catchment area, relocating pastoralists and their cattle to other pastures, as part of broad strategy of addressing unsustainable agricultural and pastoral activities.

The Ruaha National Park tourism stakeholders emphasise that while no human rights abuses should be condoned, any allegations made by NGOs should be carefully investigated on a case-by-case basis.

 “Tanapa is regarded as a professional and well-managed body, and the claims of the NGO are expected to fail under detailed scrutiny,” Ms Sykes, who is a lawyer by profession, says.

Hotel Association of Tanzania (HAT) CEO says, as Ruaha National Park stakeholders, they do not condone human rights abuses and instead encourage meaningful consultations between government and other stakeholders.

“We don’t consider punishing current and future populations for transgressions by a few individuals to anyone’s interest as the right thing, if such lapses did even take place.”

Oakland institute published a report last year claiming the Tanzania government was expanding Ruaha National Park to boost tourism receipts at the expense of interests of the surrounding villagers.