The Ruaha in Tanzania is the lifeline of the national park of the same name. The lives of elephants, lions and water buffalo depend on the river. Rice fields have also been hanging on the Ruaha for some time. The water is discharged at the springs, the national park dries up.
The rainy season has just ended. Actually, Tanzania's Great Ruaha River should be filled to the banks. But instead of raging torrents, the river bed is largely a dusty wasteland, which game warden Hamza Visram scans in vain with his binoculars. Hardly any animal can be seen where once hundreds of water buffalo grazed. A few deep holes testify to the desperation of a herd of elephants, which dug for the cool water with their trunks.
The Great Ruaha, which flows through Ruaha National Park in central Tanzania, is considered the East African country's "ecological backbone" and the region's lifeline. It flows nearly 500 kilometers from its source in the Kipengere Mountains through vast wetlands of Ruaha National Park before joining the Rufiji River in the southeast. Hundreds of thousands of wildlife depend on its water, including endangered species.
Ruaha is one of only three wildlife sanctuaries that is home to more than 500 endangered African wild dogs, one of the continent's most endangered species. In addition, according to the Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa), around ten percent of Africa's remaining lions and one of only four cheetah populations in East Africa with more than 200 adult animals live here. Less well known than the famous Serengeti, but far more unspoilt, Ruaha National Park is also home to world-renowned populations of spotted hyenas and leopards, as well as one of East Africa's largest elephant populations.
The Great Ruaha once flowed all year round - today it only flows three to four months a year, says Tanapa ecologist Hellen Mchaki. Not enough to keep the national park wet. And not enough for the wildlife. "The animals have to travel much longer distances to get water. The simple truth is: without enough water, they will die," warns Mchaki.
The ecologist knows all too well why the river is slowly drying up: Rice farmers have planted more than 115,000 hectares - an area roughly the size of Berlin and Munich together - at the five sources of the Great Ruahas. The cultivation of rice - a staple food and export product in the former German colony with a population of around 60 million - requires large amounts of water. Farmers take it from the river right at the source. While rice is now thriving all year round, the Great Ruaha is running with less and less water.
The government has been trying to stop this development since 2017, so far in vain. January Makamba, then Minister of State in the Vice President's Environment Office, denounced the rice farmers as "environmental sinners" in interviews with local media and blamed them for the deaths of many wild animals. The diversion of water from nature reserves is illegal and must be stopped immediately, Makamba said.
Water management expert Reuben Kadigi from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Tanzania confirms the problem: "Water requirements for irrigated agriculture have increased significantly, leading to serious water shortages downstream of the sensitive ecosystems in Ruaha National Park, especially during the dry season."
The main problem is that rice farmers used irrigation methods that experts say were probably introduced by German missionaries in the early 19th century. There is also pollution from chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. To counter this, Tanapa has partnered with the Douglas Bell Eco-Research Station at Asilia Afrika Camp in the national park and the National Research Institute for Wildlife (Tawiri). Together they want to develop strategies to restore the ecosystem.
"The life of all animals depends on the river, from large mammals to birds. The wetland around the river used to be very green and lush, but now it's yellow and dry everywhere. Plant growth is also restricted due to the water scarcity," says Leena Lulandala, the research station coordinator. In some parts of the park, park authorities would have had to truck in water to fill waterholes for the animals.
Supported by the World Bank, Tanapa works with rice farmers to improve irrigation infrastructure and find alternatives to water-intensive farming methods. "For example, we try to find ways to channel the used water back into the river," explains Mchaki.
The experts are also counting on ecotourism to save the park. Safari tourism is one of the most important sources of income in Tanzania. According to the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC), tourism in Tanzania in 2019 - i.e. before the corona pandemic - brought in the equivalent of 6.5 billion euros, or 10.6 percent of the overall economy.
"Tourists bring in money that we use to fund important conservation efforts that help keep the river healthy and reduce degradation of the entire ecosystem," explains Lulandala. According to the WTTC, income from tourism makes a significant contribution to the restoration and expansion of nature reserves and the protection of wild animals in many African countries. The reverse calculation is simple: Fewer wild animals mean less tourism revenue and less nature conservation.
Despite the measures, there is no quick solution in sight. Large herds of antelopes, elephants, giraffes and hippos as well as prides of lions and wild dogs still cavort in Ruaha. But game warden Visram has noticed a startling trend over the past few years, particularly among species that depend heavily on water: "We used to see herds of 200 to 300 buffalo, now it's down to around 35." It's a race against time.
