Effects of Climate Change in Tanzania

Climate change threatens Tanzanians’ health and homes, and the natural resources upon which many depend to survive; Tanzania’s population faces an urgent crisis. For people struggling with the challenges posed by climate variability, environmental degradation and poverty, climate change represents an additional stress. Rainfall patterns across Tanzania have already changed unprecedentedly, and yields from rain-fed agriculture could drastically fall in the next decade.

Simanjiro District in Severe Food Shortage, Needs Over 3,000 Tones of Maize

Simanjiro — At least 3,000 tonnes of maize are needed urgently to feed several families facing a food shortage in Simanjiro District, Manyara Region.District leaders say relief food must be delivered soon before the situation gets worse during the long dry season. This is as reported by The Citizen Newspaper of 23 May, 2011.
The district commissioner, Mr Khalid Mandia, has revealed that many families are already short of food and that they can be rescued if relief food is sent urgently.He said the district recently received 601 tonnes of maize for distribution to the critically hit families but the stock was not enough
The semi-arid district, which is inhabited predominantly by nomadic pastoralists, is often affected by food shortages during seasons of severe drought. This time around, much of the district did not receive sufficient rains which normally end at the beginning of May.
Mr Mandia urged the Prime Minister's Office, which normally coordinates relief food supplies, to treat Simanjiro as a special disaster zone."It is very unfortunate that some areas in our district did not receive rains at all. This has impacted negatively on food production," he stated.
The grim situation is likely to be similar in Kiteto District where recently there were reports of a water shortage following the drying up of water sources. The drought scare is equally worrying in neighboring Arusha Region where the authorities have started distributing food to affected families.
The Arusha regional commissioner, Mr Isidore Shirima, admitted on Friday that the situation was critical in some parts of the region. According to him, the most affected districts are Longido, Monduli, Ngorongoro and parts of Karatu and Arumeru.
We have already started distributing relief food in some areas and we are urging officials to provide us with data on the most affected families," he said. In Simanjiro, a councilor for Langai Ward, Mr Jackson Sipitek, said most of the crops on farms have dried up, killing prospects of any harvest
He said the ward, which has a population of 2,800, needed at least 20 to 30 tones of maize currently before the situation gets worse.

CCT’s Role in Climate Change, Environment and Food Security

The Christian Council of Tanzania is engaged in activities which are geared towards addressing climate change, environment and food security. These activities are reflected in the next three years strategic plan which starts in 2011 and runs until 2013.

Activities which are included in the strategic plan are:

•  Analyze government policies and laws that govern the management of environment, adaptation to climate change and ensure food security
•  Awareness raising to community leaders, local government leaders and focus groups on climate change and environmental conservation
•  Facilitate public debates on climate change to communities as well as local leaders.
•  Establish, train and facilitate Interfaith zonal committees to monitor climate change within their respective areas
•  Build alliance with other organizations and networks
•  Use the media and schools to provide information about climate change to the Tanzanian public.
•  Provide people and communities with access to information on practical ways to adapt to climate change and prepare for extreme weather events.
•  Increase awareness of low-cost technologies that Tanzanians can use to reduce their own impact on the environment
•  Build the capacity of news and non-news media to support more effective public debate on climate change in Tanzania.
•  Draw on a range of Tanzanian voices and experiences to discuss and debate: engage citizens, local interest groups, civil society actors, religious leaders, and policymakers from all levels of government.
•  Develop mechanisms which enable Tanzanian citizens and their representatives to exert pressure on their own governments with respect to climate change policies, adaptation funding, technology transfer, emissions reduction and other response strategies.

Climate Change