Environmental Baseline Survey

The Environmental monitoring will start early in 2000. The purpose of the monitoring is to provide a baseline to assess changes that occur as a result of the tsetse control operations. The survey will identify the most appropriate indicator species for assessing environmental changes and areas at particular risk so that steps can be taken to provide appropriate protection.
The valley floor in the Southern Rift Valley currently supports only low cattle densities in most area with higher densities within Block 1 only found along the west side of Lake Abaya. In contract the adjacent highland areas have very high cattle, and human, populations. It is expected that the removal of tsetse from the valley floor will quickly lead to a shift of population from the highland areas into the valley, as has been observed in other areas. Whilst this will improve the situation in the highlands by reducing the pressure there, there will be a risk of over utilization of the valley floor leading to degradation. The environmental survey will provide the necessary baseline data and indicator species to provide early warning of any problems, and also identify areas of special risk that should be monitored more closely.