Tanzania’s natural environment and residents are being impacted by climate change. Tanzania’s temperatures are rising, increasing the likelihood of intense rainfall events (resulting in flooding) and dry spells (resulting in droughts).
Water scarcity has become a growing issue, and many major water bodies, including Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Jipe, and Lake Rukwa, have experienced extreme drops in water levels. Tanzania’s agricultural sector, which employs more than half of the population, is particularly vulnerable due to farmers’ reliance on rainfed agriculture.
On the other hand, increased intense rainfall events have caused flooding throughout the region, causing damage to infrastructure and livelihoods. A large proportion of Tanzania’s population lives along the coast and is dependent on fisheries and aquaculture. Sea level rise and changes in water quality are expected to have an impact on these sectors and pose a continuing challenge for the country.
Tanzania developed National Adaptation Plans of Action (NAPAs) in 2007, as required by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Tanzania’s most vulnerable sectors to climate change, according to the NAPA, are agriculture, water, health, and energy. Tanzania developed a National Climate Change Strategy in 2012 in response to growing concern about the negative effects of climate change and variability on the country’s social, economic, and physical environments. Tanzania submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions in 2015. (INDC).
