BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN TANZANIA: INSTITUTIONAL REFORM AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

This policy brief examines the institutional and policy frameworks of Tanzania's agricultural sector regarding climate change adaptation. It identifies significant gaps in national policy, data accessibility, and institutional capacity, arguing that decentralization and private sector engagement are essential to building resilience for the country's predominantly subsistence-based farming population.

• Tanzania faces severe institutional impediments to climate resilience, including the absence of a national climate change policy, poor collaboration on resilience efforts, and a lack of integration of climate issues into sectoral policies. There is also a significant disconnect between national and sub-national institutions, with decision-making heavily concentrated at the national level.
• Climate change poses a critical threat to Tanzania's agriculture, which supports over 80% of the population and contributes 25% to the GDP. Predicted impacts include average temperatures exceeding 30°C by 2050, shifting rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events such as droughts and floods.
• The Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) is limited by inadequate monitoring facilities, human resource deficits, and a concentration of expertise in Dar es Salaam. While it provides 10-day forecasts, the technical nature of the data makes it difficult for local farmers to interpret, leading many to rely on indigenous knowledge.
• There is a critical gap between climate policy and practice at the local level. Research in the Morogoro region demonstrated that farmers who participated in workshops with meteorologists were more effective at using seasonal forecasts to guide farming and maintained higher yields during bad weather compared to those relying on radio broadcasts.
• Agricultural extension services are constrained by limited human resources and budgets, a legacy of 1980s structural adjustment programmes that led to the retrenchment of extension officers. Consequently, the Ministry of Agriculture struggles to implement policies and respond to commitments like the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme.
• Increasing resilience requires scaling up innovative agricultural practices—such as rainwater harvesting, conservation agriculture, and drought-resistant crops—and increasing private sector involvement. The private sector is specifically identified as crucial for providing credit facilities for investments in irrigation and new crop varieties.

APA

OJOYI, M. M. (2017). BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN TANZANIA: INSTITUTIONAL REFORM AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Policy-Insights-52.pdf

Chicago

OJOYI, MERCY MWANIKAH. BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN TANZANIA: INSTITUTIONAL REFORM AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2017. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Policy-Insights-52.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=OJOYI |first1=MERCY MWANIKAH |title=BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN TANZANIA: INSTITUTIONAL REFORM AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=July 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Policy-Insights-52.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ojoyi2017building, author = {OJOYI, MERCY MWANIKAH}, title = {{BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN TANZANIA: INSTITUTIONAL REFORM AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Policy-Insights-52.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }