Vision 2050: Govt acts to boost climate resilience

DODOMA: THE government is set to apply necessary urgent actions to strengthen climate change resilience by empowering communities, building adaptive capacities and integrating sustainability to address the adverse impacts of climate change that affect climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, wildlife, fisheries, forestry and water resources in the coming 25 years.

According to the third pillar of the Tanzania Development Vision 2050 that was launched yesterday by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Dodoma, climate change, which is characterised by global warming, erratic weather patterns and increasingly frequent extreme climatic events, poses a profound threat to the country’s sustainable development trajectory.

It reads that sectors such as agriculture, wildlife, fisheries, forestry and water resources are the backbone of Tanzania’s economy and that the government through the 2050 Development Vision is looking forward to address all challenges that pose threats to such sectors.

According to the document, over the next 25 years, Tanzania will emerge as a nation that treasures its environmental heritage, boldly confronts climate challenges and champions sustainability.

“By safeguarding ecosystems, fostering resilience and adopting forward-thinking strategies, Tanzania will ensure a thriving, equitable and prosperous future for its people and natural heritage,” reads part of the document.

The vision has also identified areas of priority to ensure protection and promotion of environment and address challenges related to climatic changes.

One of the crucial areas is biodiversity integrity, the vision states that the natural wealth is protected through an extensive network of conservation areas, including national parks, game reserves, forest reserves, marine parks and wildlife management areas that balance conservation with sustainable utilisation for national and community benefits and that the protected areas cover approximately 32 per cent of the country’s land.

Tanzania also aspires to become an iconic nation that ensures sustainable and optimal use of biodiversity, supporting livelihoods and driving economic development for present and future generations.

Furthermore, the vision states that in the coming 25 years, Tanzania is expected to appropriately valuate its biodiversity and natural wealth and integrates them into economic planning, contributing significantly to GDP and socio-economic growth.

On healthy wetlands and water resources, Tanzania’s land is home to approximately 2.7 million hectares of permanent or seasonal freshwater swamps and floodplains, which are spread across nearly all major river systems in the country, including some transboundary water bodies.

According to the vision, the country is, in the coming 25 years, expected to have a healthy wetland that sustainably supports livelihoods, boosts the economy and provides vital ecological services, a water-secure nation that ensures sustainable socio-economic development and ecological integrity and a nation with an integrated, harmonised and wellcoordinated system for sustainable management of wetlands, water and related resources.

On pollution-managed environment, the vision explains that environmental pollution is a growing concern particularly in densely populated areas such as cities and other urban centres, significantly impacting public health, the environment and the economy.

It explains that in the coming 25 years, the nation is looking forward to becoming a global leader in biodiversity conservation, preserving healthy natural ecosystems where diverse species thrive in their native habitats, ensuring their sustainable survival, to become an iconic nation that ensures sustainable and optimal use of biodiversity, supporting livelihoods and driving economic development for present and future generations.

Also, Tanzania aspires to become a nation that appropriately valuates its biodiversity and natural wealth and integrates them into economic planning, contributing significantly to GDP and socio-economic growth.

The vision also focuses on effective land management and that in its efforts to improve land management, the government has introduced policies to improve land management, including bolstering land tenure security, promoting sustainable land use and engaging communities in natural resource management.

In the coming 25 years, the government aspires to become a nation with effective land use plans that balances various land uses, including agricultural, industrial and urban growth, while safeguarding the environment.

The nation also is looking forward to creating a conducive land use enforcement regime, underpinned by a stable and transparent real estate market, crucial for attracting land-based investments.

It added that the government is also planning to establish a fair land allocation system in which every citizen enjoys secure land tenure and equitable access to land resources.

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On climate change resilience the government aspires to become a sustainable and resilient nation, powered by affordable clean energy and effective management of greenhouse gas emissions for a low- carbon future, a climate-ready nation capable of safeguarding its people, infrastructure and property from natural and man-made disasters, with youth and women at the forefront of climate action.

Moreover, through the Development Vision 2025, Tanzania aspires to become a leading nation in addressing climate change challenges, setting benchmarks for resilience, sustainability and adaptation.