- Title: KENYA: Raging Mt Kenya fire raises fears of ecological disaster
- Date: 22nd March 2012
- Summary: NDAKAINI DAM, KENYA (FILE) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NDAKAINI, NAIROBI'S MAIN WATER SOURCE NAIROBI, KENYA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NAIROBI'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
- Embargoed: 6th April 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Kenya, Kenya
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Disasters
- Reuters ID: LVAAU7YP09WMAUJWCW9DJF6NOBSX
- Story Text: Smoke rises from the highest peaks of Mount Kenya, where fires have been raging for ten days clearing trees, bush and grassland in the indigenous forests of Africa's second highest mountain and raising fears of an ecological disaster.
Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) officials say less than 10 percent of the forest reserve that makes up most of the Mt Kenya National Park's 3000 square kilometers, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, have been destroyed by the fire.
Larger animals that live in the reserve are said to have escaped the fire and are out of danger but smaller animals like reptiles and insects, unable to flee as well as a varied species of trees were not spared.
Deep within the forest, efforts by KWS officers to put out the fire continue. Getting to the burning embers that still pose a danger and could be driven by the strong winds and dry weather has taken hours. The high altitude, heavy smoke and intense heat has put the soldiers' stamina to the test.
Helicopter fire fighting teams have also been pouring water over the flames in the affected areas for days.
Officials say they have managed to stop all but one blaze on the eastern part of the mountain that is burning within bamboo forest areas, which burn faster and are harder to put out.
The cause of the fire is still unknown but authorities say they are investigating various possibilities, including agricultural activities by residents trying to clear land for farming, wild honey gatherers smoking out bees and arson, considering there were several fires burning at the same time.
Meanwhile, experts warn that the long term effects of the destruction in one of the country's major natural resources -- a water tower that serves the capital, Nairobi with about 80 percent of its water as well as 70 percent of hydro power energy, will take a long time to reverse.
"We are estimating that nearly 10,000 hectares of land has been affected by this fire. Aberdare is the source of the waters that serve Nairobi and also our major hydro dams, and therefore there is need to ensure that we protect it otherwise economically there will be a big bang," said Francis Muchiri, Assistant director of the area's Nyeri forest zone.
Dams like this one, in Ndakaini, 80 kilometers north of Nairobi can hold about 70 million cubic meters of fresh water, most of which comes from the Aberdare water catchments around Mt Kenya but capacity even before the fire has been low.
Nairobi's population of over 3 million relies heavily on the water towers in Mt Kenya and environmentalists attribute low water levels not only to failed rains after a drought in 2009 and 2011 but also due to the long term destruction of forests in the Aberdare ranges. The Mount Kenya fire will only diminish further the supply of water for the city and its surroundings, experts say.
Authorities estimate that the fire will be out out within days but assessment of the damage to the ecosystems of the mountain will take time.
Thursday (March 22) marks World Water Day, a date set aside by the United Nations to focus attention to protecting the earth's water resources. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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