Mt. Kilimanjaro Forests
Findings
The survey revealed that the forests of Mt. Kilimanjaro are heavily impacted by illegal activities including logging of indigenous trees in most areas below 2,500 metres on the western, southern and eastern slopes, fire occurrences on the south eastern slopes, and the establishment of forest villages in the western and northern slopes.
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| Illegal logging of Camphor trees |
Forest village in the Forest Reserve |
During the aerial survey of Mt. Kilimanjaro forests, UNEP and KWS also assessed changes in the glaciers of the top of Africa.
• The glaciers of Kilimanjaro are vanishing due to regional warming, most likely linked to global warming.
• Between 1962 and 2000, Kilimanjaro lost approximately 55 % of its glaciers.
The Byrd Polar Research Center of Ohio State University has also monitored changes in the glaciers of Kilimanjaro. According to Dr. Thompson, Senior Research Scientist, Kilimanjaro has lost 82% of the icecap it had when it was first surveyed in 1912.
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Northern Icefield in 1952 |
Northern Icefield in 1999 |
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