Tanzania commits to enhancing protection of environment, mitigation against climate change impacts

Tanzanian authorities on Monday announced measures aimed at enhancing the protection of the environment and mitigation against climate change impacts.

Selemani Jafo, the minister of State in the Vice President’s Office responsible for Union and Environment, told parliament that the measures included a shift to using clean energy for cooking and increasing the pace of planting trees under the national tree planting program.

“The government has launched a program aimed at phasing out the use of fuel wood and charcoal in public and private institutions by Jan. 31, 2025,” Jafo told the House in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania.

Tabling his ministry’s budget proposals for the 2023/2024 financial year that begins on July 1, 2023, and ends on June 30, 2024, Jafo said during the 2022/2023 financial year, 185,636,155 trees were planted across the country and 154,934,563 of them, an equivalent of 83.5 percent, thrived.

“The tree planting campaigns are continuous to save the country from deforestation,” he said, adding that the government will continue raising awareness on adaption and mitigation against climate change.

He said the government will continue overseeing the implementation of the Environment Master Plan launched by Vice President Philip Mpango in June 2022 aiming at guiding environmental interventions for 10 years from 2022 to 2032.

Jafo said other measures included the prevention of soil erosion along the country’s Indian Ocean beaches.

He said Tanzania will also continue participating in international forums aimed at addressing the conservation and protection of the environment. Enditem