Water Crisis in Tanzania: High time for embracing technology and innovation over

nature dependence solution

IN the mid of the UN COP27 summit in Egypt, the city of Dar es Salaam and other parts of
Tanzania face severe water shortages that were brought on by drought.

At the UN COP27 heads of state, ministers and negotiators, along with climate activists,
mayors, civil society representatives and CEOs convened in the Egyptian coastal city of
Sharm el-Sheikh seeking solidarity to respond to the climate change emergency.

Tanzania is renowned to have abundant resources of freshwater from all angles, including
river basins, lakes and natural wetlands. From the geographical point of view, Tanzania is
part to at least 11 transboundary water resources in the form of lakes and rivers (NWSDS,
2008).

The main sources of water in Tanzania’s mainland are rainwater, surface (rivers, streams,
impoundments, springs, lakes, and dams), and groundwater. Tanzania has been gifted with
using fresh surface water and groundwater for centuries but seems now the supply is not
enough.

Tanzania’s President Samia wins AFRIMMA Leadership Award

PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has won the Transformational Leadership Award for the
2022 African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA).

The award is in recognition of the President’s contribution to the development of the arts and
culture industry in the country.

The 9th edition of the music award and festival was held at Gilley’s Southside Ballroom,
Dallas, Texas, United States.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture Arts and Sports, Dr. Hassan Abbas attended
and received the award on behalf of the President.
“President Samia has set an example in leadership for others to follow and notably impacted
the entertainment scene in Tanzania,” AFRIMMA said in a Statement.

“From restoring the defunct Tanzania Music Award to initiating the revamp of the copyright
management system that provides artists with more economic empowerment… President
Samia has left an indelible mark on the history of Tanzania.”

Right time to spearhead economic diplomacy

THE Sixth Phase Government has put a special emphasis on economic diplomacy, mostly
through its envoys in different countries.

Economic diplomacy is becoming increasingly important in foreign policy. It enriches the

more traditional and well-known focus of diplomacy by strengthening the role of economic
and trade relations, which have proved to be a priority element of international relations in
this century.

It is the use of government recourses to promote the growth of a country’s economy by

increasing trade, promoting investments, collaboration on bilateral and multilateral trade
agreements, among other things. It can also mean the use of the economy to promote foreign
policy objectives.

It is against this background, Zanzibar President, Dr Hussein Mwinyi tasked Tanzanian

envoys abroad to aggressively market the country’s business and investment opportunities in
their respective duty stations.

He said so because the country relies on them to spearhead economic diplomacy as well as
accelerate economic transformation. He was speaking to ambassadors, consular generals and
ambassadorial representatives in a conference that took place in Zanzibar.

In a broad sense, economic diplomacy can be defined as any diplomatic activity that
promotes the state’s economic interests. It also includes diplomacy that uses economic
resources to achieve a specific foreign policy objective.

In a narrow sense, economic diplomacy is about export promotion and inward investment.
This is sometimes called commercial diplomacy.
As Zanzibar and Tanzania are endowed with tourist attractions as well as marine resources
that support blue economy , tourism, ports, fishing, marine transport, oil and natural gas as
well as seaweed farming, the envoys should focus on that and lure more tourists, investors
and get markets for Tanzania produced goods and food.

The  government is investing heavily in investment supportive infrastructures, some of them

being construction of trunk and feeder roads, airports and the envisaged Mangapwani
integrated project.

This comes as it has also been revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African
Cooperation is reviewing the country’s international relation policy, as the 2001 policy is
outdated.

Apart from the envoys, all stakeholders should effectively participate to market the country.

The exchange of goods demonstrates the value of bargaining, fosters skill in the activity, and
cannot flourish in the absence of civil – if not necessarily friendly – relations.

Economic diplomacy requires application of technical expertise that analyse the effects of a
country’s (receiving state) economic situation on its political climate and on the sending
state’s economic interests.

The sending state and receiving state, foreign business leaders, as well as government
decision-makers, work together on some of the most cutting-edge issues in foreign policy, so
sound judgment and strong business skills are all needed in the execution of economic
diplomacy.
Government commits to move services closer to people

PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has said that the sixth phase government is committed to
ensure that Tanzanians have access to various social services closer  to their areas.

Mr Majaliwa made the assurance on Friday when he toured various development projects in
Ruangwa District of Lindi region.
“The government will continue to prioritise the health sector by strengthening the provision
of services and construction of dispensaries, health centres and hospitals in the country, with
the aim of moving these services closer to the people,” the Premier said.

Mr Majaliwa further said that the  kind of health  centres  that the  government  intends to
have  are those which offer all important services, such as surgery and  maternity also there
should be male and female wards  and  the wards for persons with special ailments.

He noted that the ongoing renovations of health facilities in the country involve zonal referral
hospitals, regional referral hospitals, district hospitals, health centres and dispensaries.

Commenting on connection of electricity in rural areas, Mr Majaliwa unveiled that the

government has distributed electricity contractors throughout the country, including in the
villages of Ruangwa District to ensure that the service reaches all citizens.

Commenting on rural electrification, the PM said that the government has dispatched
contractors countrywide, including Ruangwa villages in order to ensure that the services are
accessible to many people.

In another development Premier Majaliwa directed regional leaders to make sure that they
identify livestock keepers in their respective villages and their animals as part of efforts  to
resolve  disputes  between  farmers and livestock keepers.

The PM also called on the livestock keepers countrywide to keep a number of animals which
they can manage.

“No one has more rights than another; if you decide to keep livestock you should consider a
manageable size, so that you do not feed them on farmers’ crops because it is contrary to the
law,” he warned.

Moreover, Mr Majaliwa ordered local authorities to enforce the law which restricts people to
cultivate crops 60 metres from rivers and other catchment areas so as to protect water
sources.
Addressing the public when inspecting construction of  Mbwemkuru Secondary School, the
Prime Minister applauded the youth group named ‘UKAJE UJENZI’ for deciding to initiate
the group and carry out various government activities.

Speaking on behalf of members, the group chairman thanked President Samia Suluhu Hassan
for her decision to implement various development projects, which have been an opportunity
for them to earn income and redeem themselves from abject poverty.

On their part, residents from Nangurugai, Mbwemkuru and Narung’ombe villages thanked
President Samia for facilitating implementation of various development projects, including
health and education.