Dar es Salaam. The World Bank has outlined five key pathways for Tanzania to integrate climate action into its development plans, marking a pivotal moment for the country to reconcile economic growth with environmental sustainability.
These pathways include empowering communities and building resilience, improving land and water management, transforming key sectors for low-carbon growth, strengthening institutional arrangements for effective governance, and reorienting public spending while attracting private investment to drive climate action.
The recommendations, presented in the World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) for Tanzania, launched on December 12, 2024, provide a comprehensive roadmap for achieving Tanzania’s climate and development ambitions.
The report underscores how Tanzania can leverage its long-term national development vision, Vision 2050, to incorporate climate considerations into the heart of its economic strategies.
By aligning climate action with development goals, the country can promote both sustainable growth and poverty reduction, addressing some of its most pressing challenges while positioning itself as a leader in climate resilience in the region.
Minister for Finance Dr Mwigulu Nchemba expressed the government’s commitment to adapting to climate change, emphasizing the importance of supporting the nation’s most vulnerable populations.
“Our government appreciates that climate change presents both a challenge and an opportunity for Tanzania’s future,” he underscored.
He went on to explain: “We have recently updated our Nationally Determined Contributions as well as our Climate Change Response Strategy, which form a strong foundation for a more sustainable path for our country.”
Empowering communities and building resilience
One of the key priorities is improving the resilience of Tanzania’s people, especially the most vulnerable, to the risks posed by climate change.
This includes strengthening social protection systems, enhancing access to water, sanitation, and health services (WASH), and creating climate-informed educational systems.
It also emphasizes the importance of generating climate-compatible jobs to ensure that the labor force is not only equipped for current challenges but also positioned for future opportunities.
A key aspect here is building resilience to climate shocks through targeted support for vulnerable communities, such as those reliant on agriculture or coastal regions prone to extreme weather events.
By investing in these areas, Tanzania can reduce poverty while fostering long-term stability and growth.
Sustainable land and water management
Another crucial pathway is focusing on sustainable land and water management to enhance agricultural productivity, which is essential for food security and rural livelihoods.
Climate-smart technologies and resilient infrastructure must be prioritized to help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture, which is highly dependent on weather patterns.
By incorporating nature-based solutions, such as ecosystem restoration and agroforestry, Tanzania can simultaneously enhance biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The World Bank also highlights the need for greater access to finance, which will enable rural communities to invest in climate-resilient livelihoods, including sustainable tourism, while reducing emissions.
Sectoral transformation for low-carbon growth
The report also emphasizes the urgent need for Tanzania to rethink its transport, energy, and digital infrastructure to reduce its carbon footprint and improve resilience to climate events.
By developing sector-specific plans that integrate climate considerations, Tanzania can unlock significant opportunities in emerging industries, such as renewable energy and energy transition minerals, which are expected to play a pivotal role in the global shift towards sustainability.
The energy sector, in particular, offers immense potential for growth, as Tanzania is rich in renewable resources such as solar and wind energy.
By investing in green energy infrastructure, Tanzania could reduce its reliance on fossil fuels while creating jobs and improving access to affordable, clean energy for its population.
Strengthening institutional arrangements and governance
Institutional support is critical for the effective implementation of climate action.
The report calls for strengthening the governance framework to ensure that climate considerations are fully integrated into national and local planning processes.
This includes improving coordination between central and local governments, enhancing public engagement, and making climate change a priority in budget planning and monitoring.
A strong institutional framework ensures that climate policies are effectively implemented and that resources are allocated efficiently to achieve development and climate goals.
Furthermore, Tanzania must foster transparency and accountability, ensuring that climate investments are tracked and deliver tangible results for communities.
Financing climate action and attracting private investment
The final recommendation focuses on reorienting public spending towards climate-compatible development and leveraging diverse financing instruments, such as carbon markets, insurance schemes, and green bonds.
Creating an enabling environment for foreign direct investment (FDI) is also crucial to attract private sector involvement in climate action.
Public-private partnerships will be key to scaling up initiatives in critical sectors, such as energy, agriculture, and transport.
Tanzania is encouraged to tap into the growing global market for sustainable investment, where financial flows are increasingly directed towards projects with positive environmental and social impacts.
This approach will help the country access the funding necessary for its ambitious climate goals while also creating opportunities for innovation and private sector growth.
A smart, No-regrets strategy for Tanzania
World Bank Country Director Mr Nathan Belete highlighted the importance of integrating climate considerations into national, subnational, and local development planning, describing it as a “smart, no-regrets strategy” for Tanzania.
While the country has made impressive social and economic progress since 2000, Mr Belete cautioned that high poverty levels and insufficient investment in climate-resilient agriculture leave the economy vulnerable to climate risks.
“The challenge is not just avoiding harm from climate change, but seizing the opportunities it presents to build a more resilient and sustainable economy. By aligning climate action with development goals, Tanzania can accelerate progress on both fronts,” Mr Belete underscored.
As the country moves forward with implementing these pathways, Tanzania has an opportunity to set a global example of how climate action can be integrated with economic and social development to build a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable future.
