UNESCO sacrifices wildlife preserve for uranium mine

 
Selous: Its unique diversity of species is threatened by a uranium mine. Picture: igougo.com
Selous is the largest Game Reserve in Africa and is inhabited by the most important populations of the critically endangered wild hunting dogs as well as East African elephants.

The UNESCO describes the Game Reserve as an immense sanctuary of 50,000 km² which is “relatively undisturbed by human impact”  and which is inhabited by “large numbers of elephants, black rhinoceroses, giraffes, hippopotamuses and crocodiles”. The reserve has a “variety of vegetation zones, ranging from dense thickets to open wooded grasslands.”

Nevertheless, the UNESCO has now accepted a boundary change of the Reserve and thus enabled the mining of uranium in the conservation area for supplying nuclear power plants. The planned mine is situated in an elephant corridor between Tanzania and Mozambique.

The UNESCO describes this unbelievable act as a “minor boundary change”. However, this means approximately 200 km² that will no longer be part of the protected area.

Deadly uranium mining

Soon this unique landscape and biodiversity of could be exposed to an immense quantity radioactive waste. The planned operating time of ten years could lead to the creation of 60 million tons of highly poisonous waste. No safe method exists to avoid contamination of surface and ground water during uranium mining. It remains unclear whether the wind will spread radioactive dust into the Reserve and contaminate wide areas.

Environmental groups accuse the UNESCO of failure and irresponsibility. Their decision appears to be influenced by corporate and lobby interests. Now there is a risk that this case has set a precedent that endangers the protection of other World Heritage sites for similiar interests.

We must not let a World Heritage site be sacrificed. Please support this letter of protest to the UNESCO.

BY Linus Lasway in UDOM BATCH