Working together for REDD+: Developing a national readiness strategy in Tanzania

This policy brief examines Tanzania's efforts to develop a National Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) Strategy. It details the role of a National Taskforce, the impact of a $90 million partnership with Norway, and the challenges of stakeholder engagement and inter-ministerial coordination in preparing for a global REDD+ mechanism.

• Tanzania established a National Taskforce comprising senior officials from various ministries to develop a National REDD+ Strategy by December 2012. The Taskforce includes representatives from the Office of the Vice-President, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Prime Ministers Office for Local Government and Regional Administration, and the Government of Zanzibar.
• The Tanzanian government's REDD+ readiness efforts are supported by a five-year $90 million partnership with Norway initiated in 2008. This funding has enabled the launch of a National Framework for REDD+ in 2009, the commissioning of five in-depth studies by NGOs, and the implementation of 10 pilot projects.
• Tanzania has significant forest resources, with forests covering 38% of its land mass and 46% of East Africa's total forested area. These forests contribute 1015% of the GDP and provide 95% of energy as fuel wood, 100% of traditional medicinal plants, and 75% of building materials.
• A future REDD+ mechanism could provide substantial revenue for Tanzania; one estimate suggests that completely stopping deforestation and forest degradation could generate an annual income stream of $630 million, assuming a carbon price of $5 per tonne.
• Tanzania is positioning itself as a regional leader in monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems. This is being achieved through a four-year research and training programme involving Sokoine University of Agriculture, the University of Dar es Salaam, Ardhi University, and the Tanzania Meteorological Agency, with a target to establish a national MRV system by December 2011.
• Stakeholder engagement has been hindered by limited resources, a lack of trust between government authorities and local communities, and insufficient capacity for meaningful consultation. Some NGOs report that their key demands have not been incorporated into the draft Strategy, and there is a noted lack of civil society representation within the National Taskforce.
• Inter-governmental coordination is challenged by overlapping mandates among ministries. Specifically, the draft National REDD+ Strategy's interpretation of the Village Land Act contradicts the approach of the Ministry of Lands and Human Settlements Development, and key ministries like Energy and Lands are not yet part of the National Taskforce.

APA

Jodoin, S. (2011). Working together for REDD+: Developing a national readiness strategy in Tanzania. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Tanzania-InsideStory_cbc_LR1.pdf

Chicago

Jodoin, Sébastien. Working together for REDD+: Developing a national readiness strategy in Tanzania. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2011. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Tanzania-InsideStory_cbc_LR1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jodoin |first1=Sébastien |title=Working together for REDD+: Developing a national readiness strategy in Tanzania |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=November 2011 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Tanzania-InsideStory_cbc_LR1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jodoin2011working, author = {Jodoin, Sébastien}, title = {{Working together for REDD+: Developing a national readiness strategy in Tanzania}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2011}, month = nov, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Tanzania-InsideStory_cbc_LR1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }