Focus on Tanzania

The report identifies four critically stressed ecosystem services in Tanzania: maintenance of biodiversity, food and fibre provision, water supply/purification/regulation, and fuel provision. These ecological declines directly threaten human well-being, specifically the ability to be adequately nourished, access clean water, obtain energy for cooking and warmth, and earn a livelihood. Morogoro is highlighted as a priority region because it experiences stress across all four ecosystem services and well-being constituents. Pervasive water scarcity and income poverty are noted as mutually reinforcing challenges affecting all mainland regions, driven largely by a high reliance on subsistence farming and a population growth rate of five per cent annually.

• Morogoro Region is identified as a critical priority for development because it is the only region experiencing stress across all four assessed ecosystem services and all four constituents of human well-being.
• Water scarcity and the inability to earn an adequate livelihood are pervasive issues affecting every mainland region in Tanzania, which are mutually reinforcing as over 80 per cent of the population relies on subsistence farming.
• Biodiversity is steadily declining due to population growth and migration, which lead to deforestation, habitat change, and encroachment, despite Tanzania having protected areas equivalent to those in North America and Europe.
• Food and fibre provision is declining, with per capita food production in Tanzania falling by 32 per cent since the late 1970s, driven by desertification, inappropriate cultivation techniques, and a lack of soil fertility.
• Water supply and quality are deteriorating due to population growth, deforestation, and unregulated industrial waste, with only 45 per cent of the population having access to safe water.
• Fuel wood and charcoal provide 93 per cent of total energy consumption, but these resources are being consumed faster than they can be replaced, forcing some households to use low-quality biomass like cow dung.
• Income poverty is widespread, with 41.6 per cent of the population living below the poverty line and 19.9 per cent living on less than $1 a day.
• The water hyacinth is a significant invasive species in Tanzania, clogging waterways and depleting fish biodiversity, particularly in Lake Victoria where it covers 2,000 hectares.

APA

Wong, C., Roy, M., & Duraiappah, D. A. K. (2005). Focus on Tanzania. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/economics_poverty_tanzania.pdf

Chicago

Wong, Carissa, Marlene Roy, and Dr. Anantha Kumar Duraiappah. Focus on Tanzania. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2005. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/economics_poverty_tanzania.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wong |first1=Carissa |last2=Roy |first2=Marlene |last3=Duraiappah |first3=Dr. Anantha Kumar |title=Focus on Tanzania |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2005 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/economics_poverty_tanzania.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wong2005focus, author = {Wong, Carissa and Roy, Marlene and Duraiappah, Dr. Anantha Kumar}, title = {{Focus on Tanzania}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2005}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/economics_poverty_tanzania.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }