Serengeti General Management Plan

Serengeti National Park General Management Plan
Target 2.2: Systems for monitoring and regulating the environmental
impacts of tourism facilities designed and established
Waste management systems throughout the Park are generally poor, with the exception of
some hotels such as the Serena installations. Systems for monitoring and regulating the environmental
impact of tourist facilities are essential to ensure that the development of tourist
facilities at SENAPA are in alignment with the SENAPA Tourism Programme Strategy and
have minimal impact on the Park’s environment. In order to meet this target, the following
management actions have been formulated and are described below.
Action 2.2.1: Ensure implementation of DALP environmental impact guidelines for
all new facilities
For the development of the proposed new facilities (as listed in 0 under Action 2.1.2), a basic
requirement will be that they conform to TANAPA’s Development-Action-Lease Procedure
(DALP). This will involve incorporating and satisfactorily meeting the DALP’s criteria for site
selection, proposal preparation and environmental impact.
Action 2.2.2: Establish environmental impact standards (including waste, water
and fuelwood management) for SENAPA tourism facilities and a system of incentives
and penalties to ensure compliance
Under this GMP, all tourism facilities will be asked to meet set environmental impact standards.
Appropriate standards will be set for lodges, permanent tented camps and Special
Campsites. These standards will include the requirement to monitor and efficiently manage
the disposal of waste and the use of water and fuelwood. The standards, and penalties for
non-compliance, will be incorporated into the reviewed concession agreements (see Action
2.1.5). This system will require that concessionaires consistently meet these standards and
demonstrate that they are improving their environmental performance on a regular basis, and
in line with TANAPA and national EIA guidelines. Assessment of performance will be done
by concessionaires themselves using self-evaluation score-sheets, and periodically verified
externally.
Action 2.2.3: Advocate for restrictions on aircraft noise pollution over SENAPA
that severely impacts on the wilderness values of the Park
At present most commercial air traffic flies into and out of the Serengeti between midmorning
and mid-afternoon. This has had the advantage of concentrating air traffic noise
away from the important game viewing periods around dawn and dusk. As commercial
planes are not stationed within the Park, this situation has arisen by default rather than design.
However, visitor numbers are increasing and new developments/ airstrips are being
proposed based on merit within the broader Serengeti ecosystem, which will increase aircraft
traffic and noise pollution. To address this threat to the wilderness values of the Park,
SENAPA will work with TANAPA HQ to advocate for restrictions to, and controls on, these
developments to minimise environmental impacts and impaired visitor experience within
SENAPA.
Objective 3: SENAPA interpretive centres and materials are of
high quality, relevant, informative and educational
The desired future state of SENAPA is one where visitors can easily access relevant, high
quality information that will enhance their understanding and appreciation of the Park’s exceptional
resources, while providing clear guidelines on the proper use and behaviour in rela-
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