| What is LTBP? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Participants | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Regional Offices | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Features: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Calendar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Photo Gallery | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Publications | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Programmes: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Biodiversity |
| Environmental Edu. |
| Fishing Practices |
| Geogr. Info. Syst. |
| Pollution |
| Sedimentation |
| Socio-economics |
| Training |
Processes: |
| Legal Convention |
| Strat. Action Prog. |
Management: |
| Reg. Co-ordination |
Projects: |
| Nyanza Course |
| Uvira Renovations |
| Waste Oil Clean-up |
| World Environ. Day |
Administration: | Project Resources | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
If someone wants to contact me in Kigoma, what information should I give them? Lake Tanganyika Biodiversity Project P. O. Box 90 Kigoma, TANZANIA Tel: +255 695 2992 Fax: +255 695 2993 The project office is now located in the TAFIRI compound on Bangwe Road. What is the time difference in Tanzania? GMT +3 hrs Will people be able to send me email via the project? The project's email account in Kigoma is: ltbp@twiga.com This is the best mode of communication between Kigoma and the outside world. You can use the project's email account for project and private emails. Private emails are charged at the rate of 400/= Tsh per email sent or received. Emails are submitted to Admin. Asst. on disk and are typically queued and sent twice a day. Email replies are printed and distributed daily. We don't encourage people to send large attachments via email as the phone lines tend to choke on them. Should I bring my computer or will I have access to one in Kigoma? The project office has four Dell Pentium PC's with 14" monitors. There are also 4 HP deskjet colour printers. As well, the station has a colour scanner, an Iomega Zip drive, and software to read Macintosh diskettes/Zip's. However, one computer/printer is dedicated for the Adminstrative Asst. and there is considerable demand on the other equipment and breakdowns are not infrequent. If you plan on doing considerable word-processing, you should bring your own laptop computer. As of this writing there are NO project laptops at the Kigoma station. What is the power situation like in Kigoma? Power in all of Tanzania is irregular at best and Kigoma is no exception. The power situation at the LTBP project office has been adequate recently. There are days with no power and days with massive power surges. You will need to protect your equipment. Such is life in Africa. We have several Uninterrupted Power Supplies (UPS) units and voltage stabilizers installed. We have telephone line surge protectors installed as well. We have installed a 44kVa full-time generator. Plugs are British-style 3 prong. So bring plug adapters if your technical equipment and laptops aren't hard wired for the British system. Voltage is supposed to be 220v 50 Hz. We don't have any step-down transformers here yet so avoid bringing 110v equipment if possible. Check your AC adapter, many American computers are rated for both 220/110v and 50/60 Hz simultaneously. Will I have access to vehicles while in Kigoma? The project currently has one four-wheel drive vehicle in Kigoma; a Toyota Hilux dual cab pickup. Obviously, every attempt is made to accommodate the need for transport. However, there is considerable demand on the vehicle and the project cannot always accommodate everyone's needs simultaneously. Compliance with current vehicle sign-up procedures will be requested. Kigoma is a small, safe town, so walking or taking a taxi are both viable options. Will I have access to boats while in Kigoma? LTBP - Kigoma Station currently has one 4 metre Zodiac and use of the TAFIRI-owned R/V Echo. Both boats are under considerable demand, so we ask you to sign up for them in advance. Due to the present security situation in northwestern Tanzania, it is mandatory that any request for use of the R/V Echo be made at least 7 days in advance. TAFIRI staff will have to alert the authorities as to your destination and supply passenger information. Because of this, please plan ahead if you will need to use the R/V Echo for your research. The rules have been implemented for your safety and cannot be avoided. Refugee repatriation efforts are in full swing now and the M/V Liemba and M/V Mwongoza are booked for such transport 2-3 times a week. At present, a ship sails to Mpulungu, Zambia once per week. Please plan accordingly. Will I have access to dive gear? We currently have 6 sets of dive gear and 9 dive cylinders, all of it being used for special studies field work. We also have 1 functional dive compressor. It is advisable to bring as much of your personal gear (minus cylinders) as possible in order to avoid any downtime. What should I know about monetary matters? Except for the American Express and Citibank Offices in Dar es Salaam, it is not possible to get cash advances off of credit cards in Tanzania. The Kigoma imprest account should normally have sufficient funds to cover or reimburse your routine project-related expenses. If you anticipate major project-related expenses while in Kigoma, please notify the Admin. Asst. in advance so that she can arrange funds. Please fill out the Regional Needs Form and email it to the KGM Station before you travel. Money transfers from Dar to Kigoma take about ten days (assuming the Dar imprest has sufficient funds). The best option is to arrive with a travel advance to cover your subsistence and incidental expenses for your stay in Kigoma. Will I be able to travel freely between the riparian countries? Currently, the project has no 'free pass' visa system between all four countries. Due to the political transitions in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, visas issued from the Burundese and Congolese consular offices in Kigoma are not always respected in those countries. The project advises you to obtain all the necessary visas before you arrive in Tanzania.
Is Malaria common in Kigoma and should I take a malaria prophylaxis? Malaria is common in Kigoma and, unfortunately, the local variety is the cerebral kind which can cause death in as little as 3 days if not treated. The project recommends that you take a prophylaxis and bring a sufficient quantity out with you. Either Larium (for the brave) or a combination of Paludrin and Chloroquine seem to be the favourites of project personnel. Bring a decent supply of quality bug repellent. You will need it. Additionally, the local mosquitoes are attracted to dark, especially black, clothing. It is advisable not to wear dark clothes after sunset. Contracting malaria is a common event, even if only here for a short time (and will ruin your trip) Any other medical concerns I should know about? The local Baptist Hospital can handle most medical needs including malaria tests. The water supply is decent, but to prevent illness, you should boil drinking water for 20 min. It might be a good idea to bring a portable camping-style water filter just to be safe. Giardia is common and we advise you bring a prescription of Ciprofloxacin or equivalent for traveller's diarrhoea and/or Giardia. Many project consultants have contracted Giardia in the last few months. We recommend that before visiting the region you have full vaccinations for Hepatitis A &B, Yellow Fever, Tiphoid, Polio, Diptheria/Tetanus, Meningococcal, and even Rabies. Followup vaccinations can be obtained in Bujumbura, Kigoma, Lusaka, and Dar es Salaam. | |||||||||||||||||||
|| Home ||
 | Back |