Tanzania, EU partner to develop tourism, blue economy  

DODOMA: TANZANIA and the European Union (EU) have agreed to cooperate in the Natural Resources and Tourism Sectors, particularly in environmental conservation and preventing illegal hunting of forests and wildlife products.

The agreement was met in a discussion between Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Pindi Chana, and the EU Ambassador to Tanzania, Christine Grau, in Dodoma, where other areas of cooperation were mentioned as the blue economy and beekeeping.

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During their discussion, Minister Chana requested the European Union to support technological investment and research in clean cooking energy, forest industries, and to assist in establishing a Forest Art Laboratory at the Tanzania Forestry Research Institute (TAFORI).

Elaborating, the minister noted that her ministry plans to put more weight on the use of technology in conservation since a third of the country’s land area consists of natural resources.

“For this reason, we are bound to conserve not just for Africa’s benefit, but for the entire world,” she noted.

Additionally, Chana also requested the EU to assist in implementing a new Beekeeping Development Program, aimed at improving livelihoods, especially for communities,s by creating jobs for both youth and women.

However, regarding the forestry sector, Minister Chana welcomed various stakeholders to invest in carbon trading as a way to improve community livelihoods and the country’s economy, while enhancing the conservation of forest resources.