Tanzania to mine uranium in Selous Game Reserve

1 July 2011 -

The Tanzanian government has approved plans to mine uranium within the frontiers of Selous Game Reserve, a World Heritage Site in the south of the country.
Ezekiel Maige, Tanzania's natural resources minister and tourism minister, said in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation that the mining project will affect only 0.69% of the land within the park.
The mining project is expected to bring in about $200 million each year, with around $5 million going to the Tanzanian government. Some of this money will go toward managing the park, which costs around $490,000 each year, Maige said.
Mining operations within Selous Game Reserve should generate somewhere around 1,600 jobs.
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has requested that Tanzania performs environmental assessments of the mining before it gives its approval.
Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest faunal reserves in the world. Some species, such as the African Wild Dog and the Cape buffalo, are found in greater numbers within this reserve than in any other African game reserve or park.

See the original article at the BBC News: Africa page here.