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Major policy on climatic change in the offing
2006-01-30 07:58:54
By Ludger Kasumuni
The government is finalising a policy called National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), which will be used as guard against hazards caused by climate change.
Closing Scientific Conference on Climate Change in Arusha, the Permanent Secretary in the Vice President’s Office, Abubakar Rajab said that NAPA was in the final stages of preparation.
He commended the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) for deliberating on climate change, because its recommendations would be incorporated in the NAPA document.
’I am happy to hear that you had very productive discussions ….. particularly (on issues) relating to livelihoods and growth. It is my hope that these will feed into NAPA, which is in the final stages of preparation,’ Rajabu said.
He said there was a need to mainstream issues on climate change into the national planning process, because they had been affecting people’s livelihood.
Rajabu urged NEMC to co-ordinate more research on climate change and raise public awareness on its hazards and mitigation measures.
Richard Muyungi, the Director of Environment in the Vice President’s Office, said Tanzania and other African countries were ill prepared in mitigating problems causing climate change and its hazards.
Muyungi noted the hazards caused by climate change arising from global warming were: Perennial floods, droughts, outbreak of epidemic diseases like cholera and malaria, drying up of water sources, famine and reduction of underground water supply.
Planning for future socio-economic development must include aspects of climate change, he said.
The four-day seminar was organised by NEMC in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), DANIDA, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Vice President’s Office and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
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