UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY
Proposal to fund the preparation of
A National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA)
Country Name: United Republic of Tanzania
Project Title: Preparation of a National Adaptation Programme of Action
(NAPA) for United Republic of Tanzania
GEF Implementing Agency: UNEP
GEF operational focal point: Permanent Secretary, Vice President’s Office
Climate change focal point: Division of Environment, Vice-President’s Office
National executing agency: Division of Environment
Country eligibility:
(i) LDC Status
(ii) Date of UNFCCC ratification 17 April 1996
GEF financing: US$: 200,000
Government contribution: In kind
Estimated total budget: US$ 200,000
Estimated starting date: 15th February 2003
Duration: 15 Months
Tanzania: Key Socio-Economic Indicators
Population (millions)Population growth rate (%)
Land area (km2)
GNP per capita
GDP (million US$)
GDP growth rate (%)
Access to water (%)
Access to sanitation
Access to electricity (%)
Urban:
Rural:
Forest cover (%) / 33.4
2.8
945,000
270
9,027
5.1
54
90
7
26
1
43.9
Source: World Bank, 2001; World Bank, 2002
Introduction
1. Tanzania covers an area of 945,000 km2, with a population of 33.4 million estimated to be growing at a rate of 2.8% annually. More than 80% of the population live in rural areas. The country has 33.5 million hectares of forests and woodlands that constitute 38% of the total land area on the mainland. The country has the biggest lake and river systems in Africa. They include large portions of Lake Victoria, Tanganyika, Manyara and Nyasa and a variety of other/ small lakes, rivers, swamps and floodplains.
Economy
2. Agriculture, forestry and fishing which are all climate sensitive, are the key sectors in the Tanzanian economy, and account for about 55 percent of the GDP and 75 percent of foreign exchange earnings. Agriculture employs about 80 percent of the country’s work force. For a significant proportion of the rural population, fishing is the main means of livelihood, either from the coastal waters or from inland fresh water lakes and reservoirs, the most productive being Lake Victoria. Other key sectors in Tanzania’s economy include trade and tourism (14.7% of GDP), financial and business services (9.3%) and mining industry, which has been a growing industry in the recent years.
Poverty
3. Tanzania is one of the Least Developed Countries in Africa. The impacts of climate change will have more adverse effects on the poor who have fewer alternative options for survival particularly in rural areas. Most of the poor rely on agriculture or agriculture-based industries for their livelihood. More than 50% of Tanzanians are poor and about 36% live in abject poverty. The high infant mortality rate among the poor is due to low income levels, which in turn are a result of low agricultural output limiting the disposable income that could be used in meeting essential needs such as better health services and safe water.
4. Climate change will increase the incidence of extreme weather events such as floods and droughts. In the event of increased incidences of floods, the poor are usually displaced due to poor housing structures and unavailability of the necessary infrastructure. They are also more susceptible to water borne diseases, since they are forced to rely on untreated water. Adaptation measures for the poor have not been dealt with adequately in this context, and will be tackled in the preparation of the proposed NAPA.
Health and Water
5. Life expectancy at birth in Tanzania is about 44 years (2000). Infant mortality rate is about 88 per 1000, while the maternal mortality rate is about 529 per 100,000, and under five mortality rates are about 137 per 1000. Total and severe malnutrition declined from 50 percent in the 80s to 30 percent in the 90s. However in the recent years malnutrition has been increasing in some areas due to low productivity and poverty.
Energy
6. The major energy sources in Tanzania are woodfuel, electricity, coal, petroleum products as well as agricultural residues and animal dung. Woodfuel accounts for 93% of the primary energy consumption. Electricity and petroleum products, mainly kerosene, diesel and gasoline account for the balance.
7. In 1999, the consumption of electricity stood at 2340 GWh, with a per capita consumption of 57 kWh per annum. The total installed capacity in 1999 was 655MW of which 381MW was hydro-based and the balance of 274MW from thermal sources. Increased occurrence of drought for the past 10 years has resulted in major disruptions in electricity supply in Tanzania. The national utility, TANESCO was forced to schedule major load shedding which adversely affected industrial outputs. One of the measures that could reduce the vulnerability of the electricity sector to increased frequency of droughts would be the diversification of electricity generation sources. This is already taking place, with the planned development of thermal power plants such as the Songas for the increased use of natural gas. Special programmes and projects such as Tanzania Rural Electrification programme and a GEF pipeline project on Removing Barriers to PV Solar project will also be important in reducing vulnerability.
Transport and Infrastructure
8. The transport system in Tanzania includes roadways, railways, marine and airways. Most of the roads are unpaved. Railway lines in Tanzania total 3,596km. Waterways are also important for trade with neighbours and include the use of the Indian Ocean and major lakes - Tanganyika, Victoria and Nyasa.
9. Transport and associated infrastructure are vulnerable to Climate Change and the associated adverse effects. For example, the heavy rains in 1998 that were a result of El Nino phenomenon resulted in significant damage to roads, highways and railways in Tanzania. The heavy rains and floods damaged seasonal roads that are critical in the marketing of agricultural produce in rural areas.
Coastal Resources and Structures
10. The coastline of Tanzania is about 800km long. Main features of the coastline are mangrove forests and swamps, corals, seasonal swamps, cliffs, sand and mudflats, salt works, and cashew nuts among others. There are a number of islands along the coast, the main ones being Pemba and Unguja also Mafia. The coastline, particularly Dar es Salaam, is characterized by high population and some extensive economic activities such as tourism, industry, agriculture, mining and fishing. Fishing is an import economic activity along the coast.
11. V&A studies were undertaken between 1994 and 1996 to assess the impacts of climate change on coastal resources and structures. Some of the adverse effects identified include land losses and destruction of structures and infrastructure due sea level rise. Adaptation measures proposed include protection of important areas through construction of sea walls. The wall which was constructed along the Dar es Salaam city critical shoreline has however been eroded by seawater. It was estimated that protecting the Dar es Salaam coastline would cost more than US$ 270 million, while protecting the whole coastline would require more than US$ 9 billion. The proposed NAPA preparation exercise would build on these findings, study each of the major economic sectors and main eco-systems along the coast in greater detail and identify priority adaptation measures.
Institutional Context
12. Environment issues in Tanzania are coordinated by the Vice President’s Office (VPO). The Vice President’s Office has the responsibility for providing the overall environmental management guidance and coordination. VPO is the GEF operational focal point and the focal point for other multilateral environment agreements (MEAs) including the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and UN Convention to Combating Desertification (UNCCD). The Office coordinates the implementation these Conventions. However, the direct implementation of MEAs and other environmental management and conservation activities are undertaken in the relevant ministries, institutions and agencies – often at decentralized district levels.
13. Among these are; the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, the Ministry of Water and Livestock Development and the Ministry of Lands and Human Settlement Development. The National Environment Management Council (NEMC), which was established by an act of Parliament in 1983, provides advice to the government and also plays watchdog role on matters related to environment management in the country. There are also several NGOs, CBOs, and private sector organisations, which work in close collaboration with the government on aspects of environment in the country.
14. The Division of Environment of the VOP is the government arm entrusted with the coordination role of MEAs including the UNFCCC. The national climate change committee is an inter-institutional body comprising of representatives from institutions, which have relevance to climate change issues.
Objectives, and linkages to ongoing activities
15. The objectives of NAPAs are:
- To serve as simplified and direct channels of communication for information relating to the urgent and immediate needs for adaptation to climate change.
- Capacity building for preparation of national communications, and addressing urgent and immediate adaptation needs.
Status of past and ongoing climate change activities
16. Tanzania ratified the UNFCCC on 17th April 1996. The initial communication to the UNFCCC was finalised and it covered the following areas:
- Green house gas inventory
- Mitigation of green house gases
- Vulnerability and adaptation assessment
- National implementation strategy
17. The vulnerability and adaptation assessment carried out as part of this activity is of direct relevance to the proposed NAPA process, and is summarized in Annex 1. Other relevant past and on-going activities are reviewed below:
Climate Change Studies
18. Tanzania participated as one of the 11 countries in the UNEP/GEF project entitled "Country Case Studies on Sources and Sinks of Greenhouse Gases". The project aimed at assisting selected developing countries in carrying out comprehensive GHG inventory using the IPCC common reporting framework. The study which was completed in 1995, was coordinated by CEEST under the direction of the DoE and the NCCC.
19. Another study, the "Climate Change Mitigation in Southern Africa, Phase 1", ranked a number of mitigation options in the energy, industry, agriculture, land-use and forestry sectors. Under the US Country Studies Programme (USCSP), the vulnerability/impacts and adaptation options to climate change in the country were assessed. This study covered the following sectors: agriculture, forestry, livestock and rangelands, coastal resources and water resources.
20. Tanzania was also supported by Danida for a project entitled "Climate Change Mitigation in Southern Africa (Phase 2)". The project focused on land use, agriculture and forestry sectors and examined the mitigation potential and the cost of protecting the natural carbon stocks (forests) and increasing the sink by aforestation. The study involved a consideration of modified agricultural practices to enable the sector achieve higher productivity while avoiding drastic destruction of natural forest. The mitigation options identified were compared cross-sectorally with those assessed in the earlier (Phase 1) study. The findings from these earlier studies were important source of information to the first national communication for the UNFCCC, which has been finalised.
21. A GEF/UNITAR capacity building project aimed at strengthening communication capacity to climate change focal points through the provision of information technology and training was undertaken.
22. An assessment of capacity building needs to support the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol has been done by UNITAR for 33 developing countries including Tanzania.
Multilateral Environmental Agreements
Biodiversity
23. There are a number of biodiversity projects initiated in Tanzania. The full project proposal for “Development of Mnazi Bay Marine Park” was accepted by GEF in May 2000, and the project has been accepted for funding in 2002. The project emphasises the sustainable use of marine resources by communities, as well as biodiversity conservation. Another biodiversity project, the “Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park Development” was approved by GEF in the year 2000. There are also regional biodiversity projects which are being implemented in Tanzania, which include, Lake Victoria Environment Management Projects, Cross-border biodiversity project, the Lake Tanganyika biodiversity project, and the Eastern Arc Biodiversity Project. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) has been finalised. The NBSAP identified priority plans for conservation and sustainable use of Tanzania biodiversity as well as equitable sharing of resources. This document highlighted the main areas for biodiversity conservation in Tanzania and will continue to be the basis for natural resource management in the country.
24. Tanzania has already submitted its first report to CBD Secretariat is now preparing for the second report to this Convention. This is also a GEF funded process.
Desertification
25. The National Action Programme to Combat Desertification (NAP) was completed in 1999. The implementation of the National Action Programme to Combat Desertification of the United Nations Convention to Combating Desertification (UNCCD) has been slow due to financial constraints. However a number of activities under this programme are being implemented, for example, the catalyst support and capacity building activities to various NGOs and CBOs. NAP has identified some measures that can serve as climate change adaptation options because extensive consultations were undertaken during its preparation. Some of these entail legislative and regulatory measures, which will enhance adaptation to climate change by sectors and ecosystems. NAP will form a bigger part of the adaptation options.
Other plans, projects and programmes
27. Among other important strategies which Tanzania has prepared include; the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) of 1994, Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) of 2000, The Rural Development Strategy of 2001, the Agriculture Sector Development Strategy of 2001, the Legal and Institutional Framework for Environment Management in Tanzania, and Integrated Coastal Zone Management Strategy (ICZMS).
Project Activities and Outputs
28. The project will involve the following key activities (refer Table 1), which are outlined below, and which are based on the guidelines for the preparation of NAPA and the annotated guidelines prepared by the LEG and guidelines for funding NAPA preparations prepared by the GEF.
Table 1: Diagrammatic representation of the NAPA process