A GREEN HORIZON
Though Tanzania faces unique and arduous hurdles in the way of a green economy transformation, the country is rich in resources and has seemingly endless potential to produce and export green value-added products.
Tanzania is well on its way to transforming its economy into one that embraces and utilizes green practices. The country is known in the international green arena for its policies and initiatives being implemented by both the public and private actors. The country's green economy efforts reach many sectors, including agriculture, fishing, mining, and nearly all other industries.
In May 2017, the government allotted the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries a budget of over TZS265 billion for the fiscal year. The ministry plans to spend some TZS156 billion developing green practices to ensure and promote the country's sustainable fishing industry. The budget will also help provide commercial vessels that can better work toward achieving the goals, and, more importantly, toward fighting illegal fishing, which poses a serious threat to the sustainability of fisheries.
Tanzania is covered in part by a rich, dense forest. From the Tanzanian forests come the country's primary sources of water, but as the country's population grows, communities and industries are relying increasingly on resources from the forest. With only small portions of the country aware of the necessity of sustainable forestry practices, the government and several international groups are working to spread awareness of the importance of a healthy forest and how to maintain it.
Along with conservation organization Bird Life, government authorities recently audited schools throughout the country, helping them improve their water conservation techniques. Additionally, the Tanzanian River Basin Board For The Wami And Ruvu Rivers (WAMIRUVU) recently established a Payment for Watershed Service Scheme, which it hopes will help farmers improve agricultural methods to enhance water quality downstream. WAMIRUVU hydrologist John Kassambili said, “WAMIRUVU recognizes the vital contribution the Uluguru Mountains make to the green economy of Tanzania through the provision of water. We hope the project will encourage the government to fulfill its commitments to developing a green economy by producing regulations for Payment for Ecosystem Services schemes at the national level."
Though the country is on the right track, it faces unique challenges that will require solutions not yet applied elsewhere. Dar es Salaam is the third-fastest growing city in Africa and the seventh in the world; it is also the 12th dirtiest city in the world. The amounts of waste in the city are significant—they can cause flooding and, more importantly, increase the number of vectors that can spread diseases, like cholera and malaria. According to Matthew Haden, the founder and CEO of The Recycler, people have started to take notice.
The Recycler, one of the country's first full-service recycling and waste management companies, works with the country's massive network of informal waste collectors. “Across the globe, only 5% of plastic is recycled; however, in Dar es Salaam and Tanzania, almost 100% of plastic bottles are recycled," Haden told TBY. “Therefore, by scaling informal collectors, allowing them to collect more material and more efficiently, we will be able to make a big difference to the recycling proposition in Tanzania."
While most of the plastic collected in the country currently is exported to other countries where value is added, local value-added operations are starting to take off. Some local companies are using recycled plastic to make plastic filament for 3D printers, a product that is in high demand. There are options within the country's massive agriculture sector as well. Tanzania produces large amounts of fruit juices, but the byproducts, the pulp and rinds, which number in the hundreds of tons, end up in the landfill, where they release methane. The country is looking into utilizing a native fly that can consume immense amounts of such waste and transform it into waste high in protein, which in turn can be used by cattle rearers.
A GREEN HORIZON
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, Commonwealth of Nations
TBY talks to Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, on the advantages of being a member of the Commonwealth, the need to celebrate diversity, and Tanzania's war against corruption.
read articleGuest Speaker
Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General, East African Community (EAC)
TBY talks to Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), on Tanzania's importance to the EAC, the major achievements of regional integration, and obstacles ahead of a monetary union.
read articleInterview
Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary , Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC)
TBY talks to Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary of Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), on its work to support the private sector in the country, tackling challenges in the economy, and clamping down on corruption.
read articleReview: Banking
The Quest for Depth
If Tanzania is to meet its 2025 vision of attaining middle-income status, it will need to corral its bank-centric financial and capital markets for greater depth by extending participation and rendering credit more accessible to SMEs, women, and the young to spur economic growth.
read articleInterview
Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner , Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA)
TBY talks to Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner of Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), on achieving universal healthcare coverage, the brilliance of microinsurance, and how to partner with public and private entities to increase the industry's penetration.
read articleReview
Legal Thunder
With the stepping down of Minister of Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo in May 2017 over transparency issues and the introduction of three new laws that give the government the right to renegotiate or revoke existing mining and oil and gas rights, private players in the country are unsure of what future lies ahead. On the other hand, project-specific developments bode well for a sector in need of a breakthrough.
read articleInterview
Kapuulya Musomba, Managing Director, Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC)
TBY talks to Kapuulya Musomba, Acting Managing Director of Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC), on the planned expansion of the Mtwara-Dar es Salaam natural gas pipeline, entering northern industrial hubs, and empowering nascent industries.
read articleInterview
Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director, Shell/BG Tanzania
TBY talks to Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director of Shell/BG Tanzania, on the critical need for economies of scale, the importance of developing LNG for export, and why renewables must be taken into account in any long-term plan.
read articleInterview
Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment
TBY talks to Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, on how to reach middle-income status, employing the private sector toward this end, and what sets the country apart from the rest of East Africa.
read articleFocus: Helium
Discoveries of Magna-tude
Despite being the second most common element in the universe, helium is in short supply on earth. With global reserves of the gas steadily dwindling, and demand steadily increasing, the discovery of a whopping 1.53 billion cbm of helium in underground chambers in Tanzania could not have come at a better moment.
read articleInterview
Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA)
TBY talks to Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General of Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA), on transportation budget allocation and cross-sector dialog and partnerships.
read articleInterview
Jared H. Zerbe, CEO, Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS)
TBY talks to Jared H. Zerbe, CEO of Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS), on regional trade flows and Tanzania's potential to take a leading role in orchestrating cargo movement.
read articleFocus: Tanzania Strategic Cities Project (TSCP)
East Africa’s “Geneva”
If Rome wasn't built in a day, it is not surprising that Tanzania's project to revamp eight of its largest cities is entering its eighth year of implementation. A release of further funds from the World Bank has given the project a new lease of life.
read articleReview
Lost in the Maize
Agriculture accounts for 30% of Tanzania's GDP, and the sector has experienced above-average output in recent years compared to the rest of the African continent. However, the sector's development is held back by poor rural farming practices and general infrastructure bottlenecks.
read articleInterview
Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
TBY talks to Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on the organization's long-term support for Tanzania's development, recent initiatives in agriculture, and financing.
read articleFocus: 2020 Irrigation Target
Reap What You Sow
In 2006, the Tanzanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation set a target for Tanzania's agriculture sector: to irrigate 1 million ha of land by 2020. More than 10 years on and moving ever closer to the deadline, this target has not yet been met, though the first seeds are being sown.
read articleFocus: Southern Circuit Tourism
Hidden Gems
Tourism is frequently described as the jewel in Tanzania's economic crown. In 2016 alone, the industry contributed over USD2 billion in revenues. However, for at least three years, the government has expressed concern that tourism is not well distributed across the country.
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