The RUAHA Notes
October 2020
Please click the photo on the left to read more.
How can it be? Despite the monumental rains we had this year, and now the subsequent high water table we see everywhere, the river has only managed to sustain a small flow as far as the Ibuguziwa bridge!
It can only point to the fact that a MASSIVE amount of water is being taken off upstream for growing rice and small crops!
Sadly this will be my last Ruaha River update. As we are no longer located in RNP it will become impossible for me to keep up to date. However, I will continue to maintain this site and add updates where possible on various topics relating to RNP.
I will be very happy to answer any questions or queries regarding this recorded period
October 2019
Please click the photo on the left to read more.
This year the river has managed to sustain a small flow as far as the Ibuguziwa Bridge
till the middle of October. This surprised me as rainfall was lower than last year.
It is possible, that this is from the improvement in the Ihefu wetland itself. Since, the vast
herds of cattle were removed in 2008, and made part of RNP, I understand that the swamp
has begun to restore some of its important, spongy properties.
October 2018
Despite EXCESSIVE rainfall during March and April there is little difference to the water in the GRR this October 2018 to last October 2017 (which had normal to moderate rainfall).
Please click the photo on the left to read more. Or open it here.
July 2018
From these visual records it appears that even when the catchment area has a ‘normal’ rainfall the Ruaha river can no longer attain a bank to bank flow but merely manages a constant trickle.
This is an extremely alarming development.
October 2017
There are dead Hippos lying in pools in the Ruaha River from lack of water, and anthrax, but incredibly, despite the fact that the paddies upstream from Ruaha lie idle from May to November, they are filled with water! This precious resource is evaporating away in the blaring sunshine with nobody benefiting, save the clouds.
Click on the image to download the update.
July 2017
The question is this: although the river flow for 2016/2017 was the lowest wet season flow for many years, now in July we see a lower than normal flow which appears not to be any different to flows we observed this time last year. Despite the fact that last year, due to massive rainfall (2015/2016) we saw record high flows during the wet season.
So what is going on? Click on the image to download the update.
April 2017
The day has arrived when we can no longer pretend that the river issue is not really a problem.
Do we want Ruaha National Park or don’t we? That is the question Tanzania needs to ask.
We are on the brink of losing something very precious indeed.
View and download my latest update by clicking on the image or title. Despite massive flows this past wet season, with unprecedented flooding, the river still dried up on the 29th of October 2016.