Tanzania eyes hydropower project in game reserve, despite criticism
Dar Es Salaam — On Tuesday, Tanzania said it plans to build a long-delayed 2,100MW hydro-electric plant in a World Heritage Site, renowned for its animal populations and variety of wildlife habitats, despite opposition from environmentalists. The East African nation considers the project at Stiegler’s Gorge in the Unesco-designated Selous Game Reserve vital in its bid to diversify its energy mix as part of plans to end chronic energy shortages. Covering 50,000km², the reserve is one of the largest protected areas in Africa, according to Unesco, and is known for its elephant, black rhinoceros and giraffe, among many other species. President John Magufuli "wants construction of this project to start as quickly as possible and produce an abundant supply of electricity to speed up the development of the country", his office said in a statement. It did not give the cost of the project. The statement said a team of experts from Ethiopia would arrive in the country this week to provide adv...
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