How the People of Kilwa Kisiwani Are Impacted by Climate Change
"Everywhere has been affected by climate change"
Ruins of Arches in the Great Mosque in Kilwa Kisiwani (2018-12) by CyArkCyArk
Julius Kibebe, Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority: “The cultural value is also in danger. We need to do a lot of research to really address the best way of preserving those values..."
Julius KibebeCyArk
"...To see what to do because everywhere has been affected by climate change...”
Goats in Kilwa Kisiwani (2018-12) by CyArkCyArk
“Livestock pasture land for wildlife is shrinking. Less rain means affected vegetation cover, means livestock forage is less and less. It is diminishing due to weather changes against the increasing number of livestock. With less forage area, local needs for economic potential goes down, which means that level of poverty goes up.”
Madina HajiCyArk
Madina Haji Khamis, Stonetown Conservation and Development Authority: “I am not an expert on climate change. But we have a well, a well that people come to, to drink the nice water from..."
Overlooking the Water from Gereza Fort in Kilwa Kisiwani (2018-12) by CyArkCyArk
"...But now, this well is salty, it is no longer what it used to be.”
Walking across the sand in Kilwa Kisiwani (2018-12) by CyArkCyArk
Mercy Mbogellah, Site manager at The Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara: “The monuments will disappear. They will continue to erode, and disappear from wave action.”
CyArk on a Boat in Kilwa Kisiwani (2018-12) by CyArkCyArk
“We have to take measures as soon as possible to protect the monuments. But financing is a big problem, and it will take a long time to take measures to protect or restore what’s already eroding.”
Zuberi MbogellahCyArk
Zuberi Mabie, Kondoa Rock Painting Site a World Heritage Site in Dodoma: “We have Rock Paintings that are heritage resources in Tanzania. They have been a form of writing our ancestors used to communicate with their generation and the next ones. But the natural threats to the site are being affected by the climate change agenda.”
Massud Issa BediCyArk
Massud Issa Bedi, Village Chairman, and Secretary of Beach Management Area: “If the effects of climate change continue, people may have to move or find other means of living. The district itself is dependent on this island for its survival.”
Kilwa Kisiwani, TanzaniaCyArk
Donatius Kamamba, Former Director of Antiquities in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism:“The economy of Kilwa Kisiwani is based on fishing, small agriculture, and also on tourism. But once a good part of the land is lost, even the fishing will be affected by climate change...”
Kilwa Kisiwani, TanzaniaCyArk
“...To adapt to climate change, we planted mangrove trees along the beach as buffer, to reduce the strength and intensity of the sea waves’ force, so that by the time they reach the monuments’ walls, their effect has been minimized..."
Donatius KamambaCyArk
"...We also needed to involve the communities, to reduce activities conducted around the beach, and make sure they are done in a sustainable way.”
Underneath the Domes of the Great Mosque in Kilwa Kisiwani (2018-12) by CyArkCyArk
Neema Tesha, Architecture student, University of Dar Es Salaam: “If we go on like this, everybody neglecting the effect of climate on their environment - it will disappear..."
Taking a photograph on top of Gereza Fort in Kilwa Kisiwani (2018-12) by CyArkCyArk
"...But if we start taking measures on how to mitigate the effects impacting heritage, maybe we can save what’s remaining up to now.”
Discover more
How is Kilwa Kisiwani Preserving its Ruins
The Climate Change Impacts Putting Kilwa Kisiwani at Risk
Heritage on the Edge
Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania
Discover how CyArk uses 3D documentation to empower local experts.
Find out more about ICOMOS' efforts to increase engagement of cultural heritage in climate action here.
Dkt. William Megarry, ICOMOS, na Mhadhiri wa Akiolojia, Shule Kuu ya Mazingira ya Asili na ya Kutengenezwa, Queen’s University Belfast.
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