生質能源甘蔗田 將瓦解肯亞泰納三角洲生態 | 環境資訊中心
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生質能源甘蔗田 將瓦解肯亞泰納三角洲生態

2008年07月01日
摘譯自2008年6月26日ENS肯亞、奈洛比報導;范仕穎編譯;蔡麗伶、禾引審校

肯亞泰納三角洲。圖片來源:Zuc123在保育人士與社區居民的反對聲浪下,棲息著350種鳥類、獅子、大象和稀有鯊魚及爬蟲類的肯亞泰納河(Tana)三角洲即將被開墾為為甘蔗生產區。

肯亞國家環境管理局(NEMA)核准了一家位於首都奈洛比的Mumias糖業公司所提出的企畫,這份計畫將2000平方公里的原始三角洲改造為甘蔗種植區。

肯亞總統齊貝吉(Mwai Kibaki )在2007年的公開場合已表達對這個計畫的支持。但是環保人士和當地居民認定這是個不合法的決策,並且決心阻擋這個開發計畫。

「環境評估非常粗糙,而政府甚至不願意接受一些非常溫和的建議」成立99年的BirdLife International肯亞分會的馬諦辜(Paul Matiku)表示。

國家環境管理局(NEMA)在甘蔗園開發計畫中加諸了14項條件,但馬諦辜表示這些條件非常薄弱,而且完全忽視環境評估計畫中,穀物的灌溉設施會造成三角洲嚴重的排水問題。

國家環境管理局的決定,也忽視了因為失去他們的耕地和捕魚的權利,農夫和漁夫們正極力爭取的補償。 「這是數百里內唯一在乾季可以放牧的地方,一旦開發之後,會有幾百位農夫沒有放牧地供其飼養的牛群使用,」馬諦辜解釋。

泰納河是肯亞境內最長的河,它由中央的高地流向印度洋,再由擁有40公里寬三角洲的Kipini入海。這個地區通常乾燥、容易出現乾旱情況,但是本週卻有至少15000的居民面臨洪水帶來的作物損害。

在巡視過淹水災區之後,居民們推派出的代表Danson Mungatana要求農業部提供農夫們種植的種子,且力促Mumias糖業,展開240億肯亞先令(大約美金3.73億)的計畫,實現他們的所有要求。

但是這個案子的經濟利益卻不明確,由Nature Kenya和 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds於五月發表的報告指出,Mumias糖業所計算出的經濟利益有缺陷。該公司聲稱從甘蔗耕種的所得20年間會達到245萬美金。
但是環保人士們的報告卻指出由漁業、農業、旅遊業和其他被犧牲的生計在20年間的價值是5900萬美金。

位於肯亞泰納三角洲的野生動物。圖片來源:Tana Delta Camp該報告也發現Mumias糖業高估了利潤,沒有考慮用水和甘蔗種植污染所帶來的費用,並忽略其對三角洲生態旅遊所造成的損失。

在泰納三角洲所種植的甘蔗可能會投入乙醇的生產,在2005年Mumias糖業的總經理奇德羅(Evans Kidero)宣布了擴大生產乙醇的計畫。

「直到現在,肯亞展現他對國際承諾保護野生生物的支持,且有著相當不錯的表現,但是這個開發案可能會嚴重破壞肯亞關懷環境的名聲,」英國BirdLife 的非洲分會Royal Society for the Protection of Birds的非洲專員巴克利(Paul Buckley)表示。

環保人士表示,對整個泰納河盆地的管理計畫應該要放在任何開發案之前。在環境影響評估過程中最重大的缺失,就是缺乏肯亞環境法所要求的計畫設計文件,馬諦辜指出。

「現在的環境影響評估是匆促間完成,缺乏很多重要的資訊,肯亞國家環境管理局應該要拒絕接受,並重新要求新的環境影響評估研究,」馬諦辜表示道,「政府核准泰納河甘蔗和生質燃料的計畫不但破壞了該區的生物多樣性,也威脅到當地農村生計的問題。」

Sugar for Biofuel to Displace Kenya's Tana Delta Wildlife
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 26, 2008 (ENS)

Kenya's Tana River Delta, inhabited by 350 species of birds, lions, elephants, rare sharks and reptiles, is about to be converted to sugar cane production over the objections of conservationists and local communities.

Kenya's National Environment Management Authority, NEMA, has approved a proposal by the Mumias Sugar Company, a publicly traded company based in Nairobi, to covert 2,000 square kilometers of the pristine delta into irrigated sugarcane plantations.

The government is behind the project, with President Mwai Kibaki expressing his personal approval at a public rally in Garsen last year.

But conservationists and villagers living in the delta believe the decision is illegal and are determined to block the development.

"The environmental assessment for the scheme was poor yet the government has defied even those very modest recommendations," said Matiku, whose 99-year-old organization is the Kenyan affiliate of BirdLife International.

The National Environment Management Authority put 14 conditions on the sugarcane plan. But Matiku says the conditions are weak and ignore the environmental assessment, which showed that irrigation of crops would cause severe drainage of the Delta.

NEMA's decision also overlooks an ongoing dispute over compensation for farmers and fishermen who would lose their land and fishing rights.

"This is the only dry-season grazing area for hundreds of miles and its loss will leave many hundreds of farmers with nowhere to take their cattle," Matiku explained.

The Tana is the largest river in Kenya. It flows from the central highlands down to the Indian Ocean where it enters the sea at Kipini with a delta 40 kilometers wide.

The district is generally dry and prone to drought, but this week at least 15,000 residents of the Tana Delta are coping with the destruction of their crops by floods.

After touring the flooded communities, their elected representative MP Danson Mungatana is asking the Ministry of Agriculture to give farmers seed for replanting and urged Mumias Sugar to start their Sh24 billion (US$373 million) project, saying all requirements have been met.

But the economic benefits of the conversion of the Tana Delta to sugar cane are not clear. A report commissioned in May by Nature Kenya and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds found deficiences in the calculation of benefits presented by Mumias.

The company says the income from sugar cane cultivation will be US$2.45 million over 20 years.
But the conservationists' report shows that the revenue from fishing, farming, tourism and other lost livelihoods would be US$59 million over the same period.

The report found that Mumias has overestimated profits, ignored fees for water use and pollution from the sugarcane plant, and has disregarded the loss of income from wildlife tourists to the delta.

Sugar cane grown on the Tana Delta is likely to fuel ethanol production. In 2005, Mumias Sugar Managing Director Evans Kidero announced plans to expand into the production of ethanol to take advantage of the high cost of fuel.

"Until now, Kenya support for global agreements to protect wildlife has been excellent but this development could severely damage Kenya reputation for caring for its environment," said Paul Buckley, an Africa specialist with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which is the BirdLife affiliate in the UK.

Conservationists say that an integrated management plan for the entire Tana River basin should precede any development considerations.

The lack of project design documents, required by Kenyan environmental law, has been a critical omission in the whole Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, process, Matiku points out.

"The current EIA was hurriedly produced and lacks vital information. NEMA should reject it and request for a new EIA study for the new project site," said Matiku. "The government's decision to approve the Tana River sugarcane and biofuels project will not only destroy biodiversity but also threaten rural livelihoods."

全文及圖片詳見:ENS

作者

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.