Climate change policy inventory and analysis for Tanzania

This report is an output of the Global Framework for Climate Services Adaptation Programme in Africa. The goal of the report is to: 1) assess the extent to which climate change concerns have been integrated or mainstreamed into national policy documents in mainland Tanzania, 2) to consider the role of climate services in achieving national sectorial policy goals, and 3) identify entry points for the further development of climate services within the current policy frameworks. Fifteen key policy documents relevant to economic development, climate change and environment, agriculture and food security, disaster management and risk reduction, and health planning were analysed. Three major findings emerged from this analysis. First, while climate change is addressed in a number of the policy documents, the concept of climate services was not. Second, policy documents across all sectors identified improved early warning systems as a specific objective. This represents a common entry point for development and delivery of climate services, as well as an opportunity to increase cross-sectorial adaptation coordination and planning. Third, the analysis highlighted that efforts to manage short- and long-term climate risks are not well integrated under current policies and legislation in Tanzania. Additionally, we found that the National Environmental Policy and National Environmental Management Act are the primary policy documents that oversee climate change-related issues. It will be important to link the development and delivery of climate services with the established institutional structures for climate change adaptation under these current policies and legislation, to avoid creating isolated or duplicative institutional arrangements. Based on these findings, several recommendations are made that can inform climate services development and delivery in Tanzania

Predicting and mapping malaria under climate change scenarios : the potential redistribution of malaria vectors in Africa

Background: Malaria is rampant in Africa and causes untold mortality and morbidity. Vector-borne diseases are climate sensitive and this has raised considerable concern over the implications of climate change on future disease risk. The problem of malaria vectors (Anopheles mosquitoes) shifting from their traditional locations to invade new zones is an important concern. The vision of this study was to exploit the sets of information previously generated by entomologists, e.g. on geographical range of vectors and malaria distribution, to build models that will enable prediction and mapping the potential redistribution of Anopheles mosquitoes in Africa. Methods: The development of the modelling tool was carried out through calibration of CLIMEX parameters. The model helped estimate the potential geographical distribution and seasonal abundance of the species in relation to climatic factors. These included temperature, rainfall and relative humidity, which characterized the living environment for Anopheles mosquitoes. The same parameters were used in determining the ecoclimatic index (EI). The EI values were exported to a GIS package for special analysis and proper mapping of the potential future distribution of Anopheles gambiae and Anophles arabiensis within the African continent under three climate change scenarios. Results: These results have shown that shifts in these species boundaries southward and eastward of Africa may occur rather than jumps into quite different climatic environments. In the absence of adequate control, these predictions are crucial in understanding the possible future geographical range of the vectors and the disease, which could facilitate planning for various adaptation options. Conclusion: Thus, the outputs from this study will be helpful at various levels of decision making, for example, in setting up of an early warning and sustainable strategies for climate change and climate change adaptation for malaria vectors control programmes in Africa

Tanzania’s post-COVID-19 recovery strategy and the NDC

The current discourse on climate change and COVID-19 recovery underlines the need for an integrated response to the two issues. In Tanzania, the COVID-19 response has provided for interventions that will also enhance the country’s resilience to climate change. There is thus space for cultivating partnerships that can facilitate building back better from the pandemic while addressing climate change. Exploring such opportunities and strengthening domestic, regional, and international partnerships and collaboration are vital for the Tanzanian government

Governing Net Zero Carbon Removals to Avoid Entrenching Inequities

Climate change embeds inequities and risks reinforcing these in policies for climate change remediation. In particular, with policies designed to achieve “net zero” carbon dioxide, offsets may be considered inequitable if seen to avoid or delay gross emission reductions; offsets to emissions through technologically mature methods of carbon dioxide removals (CDR) require natural resources at scales threatening food security; knowledge of the potential of immature CDR is largely a global north monopoly; and CDR in particular environments is ill-understood and its implications for development unexamined. The use of CDR to contribute to robust progress toward Paris climate goals requires global agreement on simultaneously reducing emissions and enhancing removals, equity in burden sharing, and an interdisciplinary effort led by individual jurisdictions and focused on the co-development of technologies and governance to create CDR portfolios matched to local needs

Indigenous knowledge in seasonal rainfall prediction in Tanzania : a case of the South-western Highland of Tanzania

Early and significant flowering of Mihemi (Erythrina abyssinica) and Mikwe (Brachystegia speciformis) trees has been identified as a signal of good rainfall in the South-western Highland of Tanzania. Farmers have singled out the behaviour of the Dudumizi bird as another indicator. This study was conducted in Rungwe and Kilolo districts in Mbeya and Iringa regions. Systematic documentation and integration of indigenous knowledge into conventional weather forecasting is a recommended strategy for improving the accuracy and reliability of seasonal rainfall forecasts under increasing climate variability. Since agriculture in Tanzania is mainly rainfed, where, when and what to plant depends on the accuracy of rainfall forecasting

Effects of Biochar on Soil Fertility and Crop Yields: Experience from the Southern Highlands of Tanzania

The world’s agricultural production is declining due to severe loss of soil fertility through natural processes or because of human activities. Biochar has been identified as a potential soil amendment to regain its fertility and increase crop productivity. This study aimed to assess the effects of biochar on soil nutrients and crop yields in the southern highlands of Tanzania. Data were collected through key informant and household interviews, and from sampling of soils in coffee farms where biochar of maize cobs origin was incorporated at the rate of 3 t ha-1. Purposive sampling approach was deployed to identify the villages in which farmers have been incorporating biochar in farms. A total of 172 households, 30 key informants, and 12 top and subsoil samples were involved in this study. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 20, and excel spreadsheet was used for descriptive results and relationships. The findings revealed that biochar significantly increased soil pH, iron (Fe), organic carbon (OC), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and exchangeable bases (potassium-K, magnesium-Mg). T - tests showed significant increase of soil nutrients in biochar treated soils. In addition, biochar increased coffee and maize yields from 1 t ha-1 to 3 t ha-1. Keywords: Biochar; Soil Nutrients; Food Security; Resilience; Adaptatio

Predicting and mapping malaria under climate change scenarios: the potential redistribution of malaria vectors in Africa

Abstract Background Malaria is rampant in Africa and causes untold mortality and morbidity. Vector-borne diseases are climate sensitive and this has raised considerable concern over the implications of climate change on future disease risk. The problem of malaria vectors (Anopheles mosquitoes) shifting from their traditional locations to invade new zones is an important concern. The vision of this study was to exploit the sets of information previously generated by entomologists, e.g. on geographical range of vectors and malaria distribution, to build models that will enable prediction and mapping the potential redistribution of Anopheles mosquitoes in Africa. Methods The development of the modelling tool was carried out through calibration of CLIMEX parameters. The model helped estimate the potential geographical distribution and seasonal abundance of the species in relation to climatic factors. These included temperature, rainfall and relative humidity, which characterized the living environment for Anopheles mosquitoes. The same parameters were used in determining the ecoclimatic index (EI). The EI values were exported to a GIS package for special analysis and proper mapping of the potential future distribution of Anopheles gambiae and Anophles arabiensis within the African continent under three climate change scenarios. Results These results have shown that shifts in these species boundaries southward and eastward of Africa may occur rather than jumps into quite different climatic environments. In the absence of adequate control, these predictions are crucial in understanding the possible future geographical range of the vectors and the disease, which could facilitate planning for various adaptation options. Conclusion Thus, the outputs from this study will be helpful at various levels of decision making, for example, in setting up of an early warning and sustainable strategies for climate change and climate change adaptation for malaria vectors control programmes in Africa.</p

Tanzania : Country Situation Assessment

This Country Situation Assessment (CSA) report provides an initial analysis of the past and current climate in Tanzania. It suggests solutions to the complex challenges of natural resource management, economic development, poverty alleviation and resilience-building in the context of climate change. Significant positive temperature trends in both maximum and minimum temperatures at the weather stations have been observed. Development opportunities in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) could include climate-smart agriculture, small-scale mining, sustainable pastoralism and community-based wildlife resource management.UK Government’ s Department for International Development (DfID

Evaluation of selected organic fertilizers on conditioning soil health of smallholder households in Karagwe, Northwestern Tanzania

Soil management is a strategy for improving soil suffering from problems such as low pH, nutrient deficiency, and erosion. The study evaluated the effects of human urine (HU), biogas slurry (BS), standard compost (StC), animal manure (AM), and synthetic fertilizer (SF) in comparison with no soil fertility management (NFM) on soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil moisture content, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe) in the Karagwe district, a Northwestern Tanzania. Four household farms representing each soil amendment type were selected for soil sampling. A total of 192 soil samples were collected and air-dried. After laboratory analysis, BS-enriched soil had the highest pH (6.558), CEC (23.945 cmol+/kg), SOC (5.573%), soil moisture (5.573%), N (0.497%), P (247.130 mg/kg), K (3.036 cmol+/kg), Ca (18.983 cmol+/kg), Mg (4.076 cmol+/kg), Na (2.960 cmol+/kg), and Cu (12.548 mg/kg). Similar soil properties were lower in NFM than in the other soils. The soil properties on the chosen farms did not differ significantly depending on the sampling zone for each organic fertilizer. Therefore, the result indicates that all evaluated organic fertilizers improved soil health compared to NFM, but BS and HU fertilizers led to relatively better soil health improvements than StC, AM, and SF

Socio-Economic Determinants for Biochar Deployment in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania

Biochar may contribute to both agricultural productivity and atmospheric carbon dioxide removal. However, despite the many potential upsides of adding biochar to amend carbon-depleted soils in sub-Saharan Africa, deployment is largely lacking. This paper explores the socio-economic factors that can explain tendencies to avoid action. Based on a survey of 172 farming households, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions in the Mbeya and Songwe regions of Tanzania, which were targeted for a biochar aid program in 2014, several socio-economic drivers behind the continued use of biochar deployment were identified in this follow-up study. A key deployment driver was the increased crop yields, perceived to be the result of adding biochar to soils, increasing yields from 1 metric ton per hectare to 3 metric tons per hectare. Food security and family income were cited as the main reasons to engage in biochar production and use. Climate change mitigation and increased resilience were other key reasons that motivated adoption. In terms of socio-economic factors, farmers with low education and income, the majority being males aged 40–60 years, contributed to low adoption rates in the study area. Respondents often cited the alternative usage of biochar feedstocks, lack of government involvement or extension services, traditions, and farming customs as the main constraints limiting biochar deployment.Funding: Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research CouncilEuropean Commission [2016-06359]; FormasSwedish Research Council Formas [2019-01973]LUNET