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Challenges of environmental conservation in Tanzania
2007-10-10 09:21:13
By Judica Tarimo
Environmental conservation in Tanzania, something which had not been taken seriously for years, is gaining momentum, as development agencies are chipping in aggressively to back up domestic environment management initiatives.
Because of reasons best known to authorities concerned, environment conservation had not been given priority in the government budgets.
For years, budgetary allocations to the environment ministry have been minimal especially when compared to lined-up tasks for implementation.
As if that is not enough, operations of the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC), the sole authority on environmental management , is constrained by resources.
The Council had been operating without legal teeth to penalize people breaking environmental laws.
Illegal felling of trees, pollution and other environment destructive activities were rampant because of this legal shortfall.
But the problem persisted even after the enactment of the country`s Environment Managemnt Act in 2004, which became operational in 2005.
Unscrupulous manufacturers and traders are still manufacturing and importing banned plastics bags, of 30 microns, in the presence of laws that allow NEMC to pin down the culprits.
This could simply be explained as failure by the authority to enforce the law.
This is just one example; a lot could be said about the weaknesses of authorities and managers of environmental programmes when it comes to prioritization of environment sector.
The creation of President Kikwete`s Scholarships by an American conservationist, Paul Tudor, who is the founder of Grumeti Community and Wildlife Fund, could shape up and allow progressive development of the country’s environmental sector.
Tudo announced a ten-year commitment designed to support Tanzanian students pursue tertiary level training in the field of environment conservation at US universities. He announced the package at the recent black-tie gala, held at Riz-Carlton Hotel.
The support would help to produce more graduates in environmental fields, whose expertise could be utilized to enhance professional management of the country’s environment programmes.
Interestingly, the World Bank Board of Executive Directors on September 27, this year, approved an International Development Association (IDA) Credit of 3.5 million US dollars as additional financing for the Lower Kihansi Environmental Management Project (LKEMP).
The resources will enable the Government of Tanzania fill a financing gap caused by additional issues that arose with the unexpected mortality of Kihansi Spray Toads (KST) in a captive breeding program and those in the wild.
The mortality of toads has been due to the prevalence of Chytrid fungus.
Through the additional financing, a recovery plan for the re-introduction of the KST species into its natural habitat will be developed, including the restoration and maintenance of their natural habitat.
The Government, with support from Development Partners, had, in 2000, established a captive breeding program for the Kihansi Spray Toads as an `insurance policy` in case the species became extinct.
Some 500 toads were sent into captivity in the USA. The project will also develop monitoring protocols for the Kihansi Gorge ecosystem.
The additional funding, according to the World Bank, will be directed to supporting community-based interventions for the upstream catchments management, with the aim of protecting both quantity and quality of the Kihansi river waters.
`We in the World Bank are cautious of the relationship between environmental degradation and rural poverty, and we believe that the most effective way of reducing rural poverty is to invest in sustainable natural resources utilization,` says John Murray McIntire, World Bank Country Director for Tanzania.
Part of the extra financing will assist in the establishment of the Final Water Rights for the Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (TANESCO) that will support operations of the power utility.
An Updated Environmental Management Plan will also be developed, which is expected to specify conditions that bind TANESCO to ensure compliance with environmental management issues.
The additional financing also has a component for capacity building and institutional strengthening in environment and water resource management.
The Lower Kihansi Environmental Management Project (LKEMP) in Tanzania was designed as a response to concerns raised by the government, academia and environmental NGOs, which have been seeking more aggressive action in reducing the downstream threat of habitat loss as a result of the Kihansi Hydropower Project.
With the additional funding, the project end date will be extended from December 31, 2007 to December 31, 2010, adds the WB statement.
However, these developments are a clear demonstration that development partners are more concerned with the domestic environment management initiatives even more than the government and Tanzanians themselves.
But such assistance does not mean that we should rest and wait for others to think for us, rather we should become more aggressive and develop own sources of funding to support environment programmes.
It sends a note of caution to the authorities, particularly NEMC, entrusted to oversee environment issues in Tanzania, to come up with more effective mechanism to enhance enforcement of environment laws, regulations, and rules, and punish those contravening the same sooner than later.
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