Romaisa Hussain – Art in Tanzania Internship

Climate Change

Keywords: sustainability, climate change, environment, economic growth

Climate change has emerged as a potentially existential threat globally that poses a serious risk to the survival of mankind and sustainable development. Over the last few decades, the world has witnessed changes in weather patterns due to global warming and human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Based on numerous lines of evidence, it is now more confident than ever that climate change is a threat multiplier that can amplify the effects of existing dangers. These threats include human security, scarcity of natural resources, environmental degradation, and poor economic growth.

The United Nations General Assembly set up the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, which serve as a blueprint for achieving a sustainable future by 2030—the 13th Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations talks about Climate Action. The goal discusses the critical impact of climate change and encourages developing countries to move towards low-carbon emissions in the environment. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is a separate organisation working within the UN that deals with climate change and other environmental issues. The UN aims to adapt to low-carbon development, especially in vulnerable regions, contributing to climate action and sustainable natural resource management through collective action. Most states worldwide are affected by climate change, with East Africa being one of the regions most affected.

Tanzania is suffering the brunt of the consequences of climate change in East Africa. The agricultural-based economy of Tanzania has become vulnerable to the extreme climatic conditions. Most of the population is located in rural areas, which rely heavily on agriculture and farming, threatened by rising temperatures, droughts, and extreme rainfalls. The country is home to the world’s most extensive river system, the Tanzanian. Despite immense water resources, Tanzania struggles with a shortage of water both spatially and temporally, which is worsened by the climate on its nine main river basins. In recent years, there has been a severe decline in the water level in Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Jipe, as well as a decrease in the water level of about 7 kilometres in Lake Rukwa during the last fifty years. These are connected with climate change and are endangering socio-economic activities. The effect also puts the country’s hydropower system at risk. Furthermore, diseases such as diarrhoea and malaria remain one of the prime causes of casualties in the country, especially in the urban settlements consisting of poor infrastructure prone to flooding and increased temperatures. 

Tanzania’s economy relies on its natural and environmental resources, and many people depend on fisheries for their income, which are at risk from rising sea waters and freshwater temperatures. Tourism is another aspect that has the potential to boost the economy of Tanzania, as the country has a tropical climate and is home to wildlife, forests, beaches, mountains, rivers, lakes, and minerals. The attractions are abundant in national and marine parks, historical and cultural sites, and recreational sites. Tourism generates 17.5 per cent of GDP and 25 per cent of export revenues, making it an important economic sector. Due to the unpredictability of climate, it endangers the ecosystem services on which tourism relies. For example, the Serengeti National Park has been a famous tourist spot for wildlife migration for decades, contributing significantly to Tanzania’s economy and serving as a key source of employment. There is a growing fear that the climate has shifted dramatically, potentially affecting wildlife tourism. 

Threats to the sustainability of natural resources and environmental degradation remain an issue in Tanzania, such as the untimely harvesting and usage of natural resources, unsupervised cultivation process, and trespassing on water sources. Collectively, these can seriously affect a country’s sustainable development goals. Due to the unsustainable consumption of resources, problems in producing sources may affect livelihoods. In addition, they can lead to a deficiency in food, which could eventually lead to poverty. An increase in the population and high reliance on agriculture becomes somewhat burdensome on the environment and its natural resources, contributing negatively to climate change and water-deficient regions. 

One leading contributing factor to environmental degradation is the unsustainable management of land and watersheds. Many challenges still need to be tackled to reduce this issue, including unexpected growth of human settlements, wildlife hunting, illegal farming and livestock, uncontrollable bushfires, weak inter-sectoral association, and stakeholder linkages. This may lead to the social and economic development of the country as well as poverty reduction. The Tanzanian Government has marked the water-oriented issues as a significant factor that has affected the environment. This has led to the implementation of national policies and necessary plans and strategies to tackle it. The visibility of climatic changes in Tanzania has increased by 60%, which is seen in the form of a decrease in water sources, land degradation and a reduction in agricultural land. The Government also tends to focus on carbon emissions with the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity, the saving of wildlife to abolish the hunting system as a means of income, reducing vehicle usage and improving urban planning in the country to promote urbanization. It also placed environmental sections under the sector ministries to ensure and monitor the ecological issues and raise awareness amongst the community. The Government also needs to guarantee that efforts are being made to develop the environment and climate change in national and subnational plans. 

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is one among many partners of the Government of Tanzania that has aided in the development of the environment and contributed to measures regarding natural resources and climate change issues. The UNDP encourages the Government and respective communities to sustain the environment and contribute to the reversal of environmental degradation. As long as the correct policies are implemented, the chances for preserving the ecosystems regarding food, energy, and wood, i.e., timber, clean water, consistent climate, etc., are possible. Over the past few years, Tanzania has recently experienced high growth rates of about 7.4%.

Climate change has significantly affected the incomes of the people in Tanzania. It has severely impacted the economy, agriculture, natural resources, and livelihoods of people, exposing the country’s vulnerable part. To say the least, the Government of Tanzania is to be respected for the progress it has made regarding the development and exercising of policies and strategies to prevent degradation and the protection of the environment. The Government tends to cater to the environmental needs of the country and maintain its natural resources to save economic and social development. This would mean effectively establishing immediate measures to improve the damages caused. The Government also needs to guarantee that efforts are being made to develop the environment and climate change in national and subnational plans.

References

Kijazi, A. L. (2019). The Contribution of the Global Framework for Climate Services Adaptation Programme in Africa (GFCS APA) in National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process for Tanzania. doi:10.4236/acs.2019.94040

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. (n.d.). Current and future challenges and opportunities in Tanzania. Retrieved from https://um.dk/en/danida-en/strategies%20and%20priorities/country-policies/tanzania/current-and-future-challenges-and-opportunities-in-tanzania/

Ordu, E. I. (2021, April 7). Climate adaptation and the great reset for Africa. Retrieved from Brookings: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2021/04/07/climate-adaptation-and-the-great-reset-for-africa/

UNDP. (2016-2021). ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESILIENCE PILLAR, STRATEGY PAPER.

UNDP Annual Report 2020. (2020). Goal 13 CLIMATE ACTION. Retrieved from UNDP Organization: https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals#climate-action

United Nations. (n.d.). Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development. Retrieved from Sustainable Deevelopment Goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA. (2007). NATIONAL ADAPTATION PROGRAMME OF ACTION (NAPA). Division of Environment.

USAID From the American People. (2020). Tanzania. Retrieved from climate links: https://www.climatelinks.org/countries/tanzania