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VideoMay 9, 2019

The Great Ruaha River explained by Hon. Min. Makamba

The Great Ruaha River in Tanzania once flowed year-round, feeding the Ruaha National Park, one of the last strongholds of major elephant and lion populations in Africa. Large, unregulated water abstraction for agricultural irrigation upstream caused the river to start drying up a few weeks per year in the 90s. The situation, today, is dramatic, with up to several months of zero-flows in the river, causing disease and death of animals in the park. Efforts to promote water efficiency, restoration of natural ecosystems, and protection of Ruaha River’s water towers are underway to tackle this unsustainable situation.