Threats

Pollution

Mt. Kilimanjaro, despite its great beauty and grandiosity, is also subject to pollutive threats. The above picture shows loose trash spread across a hiking trail on the mountain. Due to tourism and perhaps local non-concern, this is a common sight on the mountain. 

Climate Change

However, this is not its greatest threat. Its largest threat is much more global, climate change. Climate change is a result of thousands of factors as we know. Some of these factors directly affecting Kilimanjaro are water and air pollution, logging, and poaching. Its effects are seen quite clearly on Kilimanjaro. Some of these effects include glacial melting, flooding, forest fires, and rare-breed extinction. Local tourism also encourages cottage industries to harvest and even devastate local resources.  

Most of Africa has also been experiencing droughts over the past decade or so, leading to a loss of vegetation in the lower regions of the mountain. This brings on a very unique set of issues as the lack of water affects more than the flora of the area. The loss of wide-rooted shrubbary allows the ground to give out easier, leading to increased landslides and looser terrain. The more obvious effect on the fauna of the area being the hole in the food chain that this has created, further affecting the ecosystems of Mt. Kilimanjaro. (8)

Nic Castonguay