DAR ES SALAAM – Authorities in Tanzania are working with international agencies including the India’s Centre for Science and Environment to wrestle municipal solid waste which are increasingly posing health and environmental risks.
The National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) is partnering with the CSE aiming to ensure sustainability of solid waste management in local government authorities across the country.
“We want solid waste to turn into opportunity. We want Dar es Salaam to champion this initiative before it is rolled out to upcountry regions,” Dr. Immaculate Semesi, the NEMC’s Director General, told a stakeholders meeting in Dar es Salaam on Thursday. “Solid Waste Management is still a challenge and as the council we are looking at different interventions to address the problem.
Figures show that Tanzania produces over 17 million tonnes of solid waste annually, in which less than 50 per cent is collected and sent to dumpsites. In Dar es Salaam, solid waste is the largest emitter of methane, accounting for over 55 per cent of methane emissions from the city.
Between 2024 and 2040, these emissions are projected to increase further by over 90 percent. Experts say, Methane is a strong greenhouse gas that stands out for being 80 times more potent and dangerous than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
Dr Semesi said the council is committed to support councils to implement best practices. The session had so far brought representatives from the Regional Administration and Local Government, and the five councils forming Dar es Salaam region.
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India’s High Commission’s Second Secretary Nerender Kumar expressed the commission’s commitment towards supporting environmental sustainability campaigns in Tanzania.
Mr Kumar hailed the partnership between NEMC and India’s CSE saying the agency has been working with institutions in the global south to strengthen capacity and help address current environmental challenges.
Aditya Batra, Programme Director (Board & Funding) at CSE said the center is a think-tank that has been in operation for the past 40 years. Its focus, according to Batra, is to push for affordable solutions that work within the country.