Serengeti General Management Plan

F. Park Operations Programme
to-date modern waste management systems in place. In response, SENAPA management
will assess all existing infrastructure and ensure that proper waste and pollution management
systems are installed throughout the Park.
In order to meet this management target, the following management actions have been formulated,
as described below.
Action 3.3.1: Manage all infrastructure work-related machines and wastes
Heavy machines and other tools are essential for development and maintenance of infrastructure
in the Park. This management action will ensure that all park machinery and
equipment is properly maintained and, where necessary, replaced when it is no longer economical
to continue with maintenance work. Another aspect of this management action will
be to ensure that the waste generated from the maintenance of the equipment, such as oils
and greases, is properly and safely disposed.
Action 3.3.2: Carry out site specific EIA/ PEA for all infrastructures
Non-compliance with Tanzanian Environmental Standards and any unplanned developments
will not be permitted under this GMP. Based on the Development-Action-Lease Procedures
(TANAPA, 1995b) all developments that involve the construction of buildings or roads must
be carried out after a report has been made available on the site-specific environmental impact
assessment (EIA) and Pragmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA). No development in
the Park, by either SENAPA management or private investors, can be carried out without
these studies. Once provisional approval has been given for the construction of tourist or
staff accommodation facilities, further actions will need to be taken such as, hydrological surveys
and the inclusion of water harvesting mechanisms in all buildings.
In addition, an EIA/ PEA will be required for all existing infrastructure, to ensure conformity to
environmental standards. The EIA/ PEA will follow the criteria and guidelines established by
the National Environment Management Council (NEMC, 1997).
Action 3.3.3: Minimise the impact of mobile phone infrastructure and use on the
wilderness character of SENAPA
There has been a proposal to establish a mobile phone network in the Serengeti, with mobile
telephone towers located at Naabi Hill Gate, Seronera Lodge and Sopa Lodge. The Institute
of Resource Assessment (University of Dar-es-Salaam) carried out an environmental impact
assessment (EIA) for Celtel, the communications company, proposing the network installation.
The study recommended that the network installation not be allowed to proceed on the
basis that there was a substantial negative visual impact from the planned network towers as
well as due to a number of other considerations, which included the negative impact of the
wilderness experience that the use of mobile phones by visitors or drivers have within the
Park. Good mobile phone coverage in the Serengeti would have the negative effect of allowing
tour drivers to coordinate themselves around sightings, leading to overcrowding and associated
environmental degradation.
The use of mobile phones will be restricted to within accommodation facilities during the period
of this GMP as identified in the SENAPA Code of Conduct and by signs at park gates
(see Action 1.1.2/3 of Section D). Regarding mobile phone infrastructure, SENAPA management
will work with telecommunication operators to reduce the environmental impact of
new telecommunications infrastructure, for example, by locating at existing telecommunication
sites.
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