DEVELOPEMENT THREATENS VICTORIA FALLS

Once again, greed rears it's ugly head and for the sake of a few dollars now, this beautiful site could be damaged for ever. Another case of "killing the goose that laid the golden egg"! I am often surprised at the lack of foresite by those who are supposed to be "in charge". Shocking!

Regards
Nikki

November 15 2006 at 10:55AM

By Steve Bloomfield

The Victoria Falls, one of Africa's most popular tourist destinations and most precious ecological sites, are under threat from plans to build a giant holiday complex nearby, environmentalists have warned.

Zambia's wildlife authorities have given permission to a consortium of Zambian and foreign investors to build two hotels, a golf course and hundreds of holiday chalets in a park next to the waterfalls.

But environmental groups in the southern African country said on Tuesday that the development risked destroying the park and putting the status of the falls as a World Heritage Site at risk.

Lazare Eloundou Assomo, the Africa specialist at the World Heritage Centre, said depending on the seriousness of the mission's findings, the UN organisation could place the Victoria Falls on the world heritage endangered sites list.

"There are reports that the issue of uncontrolled and unplanned urban development is affecting the integrity of the world heritage property. The site may be threatened," he said. The falls, which are known in Zambia as Mosioa-Tunya, the "smoke that thunders", are about 1,6km wide and 128m high, making them the largest falls in the world - far bigger than the Niagara Falls in North America. The Victoria Falls are on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border on the Zambezi river, one of Africa's longest.

As the economy in neighbouring Zimbabwe has collapsed, Zambia has attempted to capitalise by marketing itself as the true home of the Victoria Falls.

The government hopes to bring in one million tourists every year by 2010, generating more than $500-million - quite a large sum for a country where 68 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day.

The latest development, by a firm called Legacy Holdings, would see the construction of two luxury hotels, a golf course and 450 chalets on the edge of the Zambezi river, close to the Victoria Falls.

The company claims that the project would create a total of 2 000 new jobs, attract 150 000 additional tourists to the area and provide Zambia with $170-million more per year in foreign exchange.

But such development, environmentalists warn, could put the ecology of the park beside the falls, which includes rare black rhinos, at risk. Peter Sinkamba, a local environmental campaigner, accused the Zambian government of failing to carry out a proper study into the potential for ecological damage. He claimed that Zambian law had not been followed. "The whole project has been done in reverse," he said.

Environmental groups have threatened to ask the courts to block the project if the government allows it to proceed.

Assomo added: "World Heritage Sites have a value that must be protected. If the values are threatened by urban development it could be placed on the endangered list."

A spokesperson for the Zambian government was unavailable for comment.



This article was originally published on page 8 of Cape Times on November 15, 2006