Poverty and the Environment in the United Republic of Tanzania

Until a few days ago, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to write this paper. But since my graduation depends upon it, I decided it’d be in my best interest to throw something together. Now that I’ve finished, I wish I would’ve put more time and energy into this paper as I’ve found the information to be quite interesting.

In writing this paper, I feel somewhat more prepared for the kinds of issues I might face if I’m offered a position with the Peace Corps in Africa. I’m also much more excited about visiting Tanzania, and if things don’t work out with the Peace Corps, it’s first on my list of places to visit.

The problems in Tanzania are real. But in researching this paper, despite all of the challenges facing the country, I believe things will improve. Slowly. The government seems to place a high value on the natural resources, and the environment. Unfortunately, it’s been difficult to enforce the policies that are designed to protect the environment because Tanzanians struggle with poverty. People who live hand to mouth are concerned with survival, and convincing them to look beyond today is a challenge. Some big changes are required, and investments to infrastructure will need to be massive.

But I have hope.

“The environment provides the basic resources for virtually all socioeconomic activity in the country, and is a foundation for the eventual alleviation of abject poverty.” ~The Government of Tanzania

With thirty-six percent of its population living in poverty, and an economy based on fragile natural resources, the nation of Tanzania faces a unique situation: balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship. Because all the main economic sectors of Tanzania – agriculture, mining, tourism, wildlife, forestry and fisheries – are based on natural resources, that growth must be done in a way that preserves the environment.

In fact, the environment is so important to the economy of Tanzania that, while considered to be one of the major contributing factors of poverty, it is also seen as the “foundation for [the] eventual alleviation of abject poverty” (Tanzania National Website, 2011).

Environmental policy objectives have been set forth by the Tanzanian government, and are designed to:

• Ensure sustainability, security and equitable use of resources;
• Prevent and control degradation of land, water, vegetation, and air;
• Conserve and enhance the natural and man-made heritage, including the biological diversity of unique ecosystems of Tanzania;
• Improve the condition and productivity of degraded areas including urban and rural settlements in order that all Tanzanians may live in safe, healthful, productive and aesthetically pleasing surroundings;
• Raise awareness and understanding of the essential linkages between environment and development, and promote individual and community participation in environmental action, and;

Despite the policy objectives set forth by the Tanzanian government, Tanzania faces environmental problems that threaten the growth and development of the economy. The current levels of consumption of natural resources are unsustainable. Soil degradation, deforestation, desertification, and loss of biodiversity all threaten economic growth, and further degradation of the natural environment will only exacerbate the issue of poverty. Therefore, it is vital to find ways of implementing policies and enforcing mechanisms for sustainable exploitation of the natural resources (Tanzania National Website, 2011c).

Agriculture, the Environment, and Rural Poverty

Due to climate and topography, less than five percent of the land in Tanzania is arable, and the agricultural industry is comprised primarily of small farms operated by peasants in the central plateau region. Seventy percent of those farms are cultivated by hand (Tanzania National Website, 2011b). Still, agriculture is the foundation of the economy, providing employment to eighty percent of Tanzanians, accounting for almost forty-five percent of the national income, and sixty percent of all exports (Tanzania – Environmental Policy Brief, 2011).

Although agriculture provides employment to the vast majority of the Tanzanians, poverty is highest in rural regions (where about eighty-seven percent of the poor live), and is highest amongst households that depend on agriculture to earn a living.

Increased productivity is essential in reducing rural poverty, but must be done in a way that maintains or improves the quality of the land. About sixty percent of the land already faces desertification problems, and soil degradation in the central plateau exceeds natural regeneration rates (Tanzania – Environmental Policy Brief, 2005).

Low soil fertility, underdeveloped irrigation potential, infestations, and disease are all issues affecting productivity. Because the majority of the farmland is rain fed, irrigation is considered to be the key to improving food security, and increasing productivity and incomes. Expanded irrigation practices could also lead to the production of higher valued crops such as vegetables and flowers (Tanzania National Website, 2011b).

Unfortunately, Tanzania’s surface water resources are already overstretched, and rivers that used to flow year-round have started to dry up. The Great Ruaha River, a river in south-central Tanzania, has seen the most dramatic effects. After a 75,000-acre irrigated rice project was built in 1993, the Ruaha River stopped flowing during the dry season for the first time, and has stopped flowing every dry season since (NPR, 2006).

This is a serious concern for electricity generation. On average, hydroelectric dams generate eighty percent of Tanzania’s electricity, but in recent years production has dropped to sixty percent. In 2006, production dipped to the lowest level ever: forty percent (Index Mundi, 2011). During this period, the country experienced “crippling” power outages, and conflicts between farmers and hydroelectricity producers began (NPR, 2006).

Aside from the problems already being experienced, the process of irrigation itself creates many environmental concerns including the spread of diseases such as malaria, and schistosomiasis, two infectious diseases which are already a serious health concern in Tanzania (CIA, 2011). It leads to increased erosion, of which the cumulative effects can be ruinous (Troeh et al., 2004). Increased soil salinity is another common problem in irrigated soils. High salinity makes it difficult for plants to absorb soil moisture, causing detrimental effects in yields (NRCS, 1998).

Despite these problems, the government wants to expand the amount of irrigated land as part of Tanzania’s official poverty reduction strategy. They hope that more water will allow the farmers to grow more crops and earn more money (NPR, 2006).

Growing Tourism and Preserving the Natural Environment

Tourism has developed rapidly over the past few decades, and now accounts for twelve percent of GDP. Tanzania is Africa’s fifth most popular tourist destination, generating annual revenues of $739 million (Tanzania National Website, 2011c). Safaris are a popular tourist activity, and depend exclusively on exotic animal species like elephants, lions, giraffe, zebra, and wildebeest. In order to maintain growth in the tourism sector, the natural environment must be preserved to ensure the long-term survival of these species. Unfortunately, wildlife habitats and biodiversity are being threatened by fragmentation, deforestation, and overexploitation.

Deforestation and Access to Electricity

Only five percent of the population has access to electricity, and wood fuel accounts for more than ninety percent of the total energy consumption in Tanzania. It is estimated that about 70% of the deforestation in Tanzania is due to fuel wood harvests, directly or indirectly, with about 30% of the deforestation being the result of agricultural land clearing (UNEP Risoe Centre on Energy, Climate and Sustainable Development, 1997). Current levels of fuel wood consumption are estimated to be nearly double the sustainable level, and that number is projected to increase (Tanzania – Environmental Policy Brief, 2011).

There are a number of options that have been identified to help reduce the impact of deforestation. One option is the introduction of combined­-cycle power plants in which the exhaust of one heat engine is used as the heat source for another, thus extracting more useful energy from the heat, increasing the system’s overall efficiency (Wikipedia, 2011).

Importing electricity from neighboring countries (Zambia and Uganda) is also helping expand access. Tanzania is a member of the Southern African Power Pool and the East Africa Community Energy Committee, programs that are designed to “establish a framework for power exchanges between utilities of the member states.” These programs “help minimize costs while maintaining reliability, and the equitable sharing of the resulting benefits” (MBendi Information Services, 2011.) As these programs continue to grow and expand, rural access to reliable energy will reduce the need for fuel wood, thereby reducing the impact of deforestation.

Wildlife and Rural Development

The first game reserves were established in Tanzania in 1905, which today forms the Selous Game Reserve. These reserves were established primarily because of their concentration of big game rather than their biodiversity.  In 1984, the Tanzanian government allowed commercial hunting, there were nine companies operating in the country. Twelve years later, that number increased to thirty-three. The hunting business has continued to thrive, and the number of hunting companies has continued to increase (Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team, 2011).

This has led to the rapid depletion of animal populations, and little has been done to address this problem. Professional hunters have actually encouraged the government to increase the number of hunting companies operating within the country. Also, hunters regularly exceed quotas, and shoot more animals than their licenses permit (Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team, 2011a).

Wildlife is important for the food security, nutrition and income of rural communities. It is clear, however, that the sector suffers from mismanagement, and overuse of resources. If policies were developed and enforced, a well-managed hunting industry is one of the few non-farm industries with potential for economic development in the rural areas of Tanzania (Tanzania – Environmental Policy Brief, 2011).

Tanzania’s wildlife resources are considered amongst the finest in the world. These resources include the Serengeti plains, Ngorongoro Crater, and Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro. Other natural attractions include the sandy beaches north and south of Dar-es-Salaam, the exotic “Spice Island” of Zanzibar, and deep sea fishing at Mafia and Pemba Islands (The United Republic of Tanzania Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, 2002). Ecology-based tourism has great potential for considerable income and employment opportunities for people living in rural communities, and provides an alternative to hunting.

Environmental Health Concerns in Tanzania

Soil degradation, deforestation, desertification, and loss of biodiversity all threaten economic growth, but other environmental problems in Tanzania threaten human health. Access to clean water, proper sanitation, and an environment free from air and water pollution is critical for the health of the nation. Without these things, Tanzania risks compromising its economic development.

Water and Human Health

Although Tanzania is blessed with a variety of surface water resources, surface water is limited throughout the country for most of the year. Water shortage and bad water quality are common problems. The poor are most affected.

In rural households, women and children have to travel long distances to sources of drinking water that is polluted by silt, sediment and other contaminants from soil loss and surface runoff during the rainy season. The majority of these households have latrines but due to limited water supplies lack proper hygienic use and maintenance.

In urban areas, increasing costs of domestic water is a growing concern for the very poor, especially in unplanned urban settlements. Poor sanitation is a major concern in urban areas where water is contaminated from effluent disposal and leakage. Only seventeen percent of urban households have sewers, and pollution control and solid waste management systems are not adequately developed to protect public health or the environment.

Without proper sanitation, people are at risk of acquiring water-related diseases such as cholera, bilharzias, malaria, scabies and trachoma (Tanzania National Website, 2011c). Expanding access to clean water and sanitation services in rural and urban areas is necessary to protect human health.

Environmental Pollution

Although the levels of industrialization in Tanzania remain low, untreated wastes cause significant levels of localized pollution. About eighty percent of the industry in Tanzania is located in Dar es Salaam. It has been estimated that almost seventy percent of the industries located there pollute directly or indirectly into the Indian Ocean. The mining industry uses hazardous chemicals such as cyanide, and mercury, causing severe environmental and health problems.

In 1996, the Government of Tanzania launched the Sustainable Industrial Development Policy to enhance sustainable development of the industrial sector. The main objectives of the policy are: human development, creation of employment opportunities, sustainable economic growth, environmental sustainability, and equitable development. A number of sustainable development initiatives have been initiated, including the reduction of pollutants by adding effluent treatment and scrubbing units to existing processes in the chemical industry (United Nations, 2011).

Conclusion

Tanzania faces a number of environmental concerns that threaten to undermine the economy of the nation. Growing the economy requires working within the same natural restrictions and limitations of the environment that threaten to destroy it. It is for this reason that sustainable development is the only way forward for Tanzania.

Poverty in Tanzania is inextricably linked to the environment. It is seen as both a major cause of poverty, and the solution to poverty. Further degradation of the natural environment will only exacerbate the issue of poverty. It is vital to find ways to sustainably exploit the natural resources. Striking a balance has proven to be difficult, as seen with agricultural irrigation and hydroelectric production.

Environmental tourism has great potential for considerable income and employment opportunities for people living in rural communities. Yet, because the basic needs of the people living in rural regions are not being met through other sources, they are forced to exploit the resources available to them. This is creating serious environmental concerns, and threatens to undermine the potential economic growth in the tourism sector.

Environmental problems in Tanzania threaten human health. Without access to clean water, proper sanitation, and an environment free from air and water pollution, Tanzania risks compromising its economic development. Investments in infrastructures that can deliver clean water, and waste must be significant.

Economic growth, poverty reduction, and sustainable use of the environment are all possible in Tanzania. In fact, none of these can be accomplished without the other. It is a unique balance, one that many people in industrialized nations like the United States fail to appreciate. In the United States, environmental regulation is seen as a hindrance to economic growth. In Tanzania, nothing could be further from the truth.

Sources