Climate change to hit coastal areas

Dar es Salaam. A new report by the World Bank has indicated that coastal areas and marine ecosystems in both Mainland and Zanzibar are likely to face three major hazards caused by climate change.

They include the rise of sea level, sea water temperature, and changes in weather patterns that would directly affect people’s livelihoods in those areas and the nation at large.

The report dubbed Investment Prioritisation for Climate-Resilient Livelihoods and Ecosystems in the Coastal Zones of Tanzania was launched in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

According to the report, the rise of sea level will cause beach erosion and threaten coastal infrastructure, turtle nesting beaches and mangrove forests.

Sea water temperature rise will affect marine biodiversity and consequently fishing activities, says the report.

On the other hand, changes in weather patterns will affect river flows, causing salinity and siltation, thus affecting fisheries productivity, unseasonal rainfall and wind disturbing human activities and fishery yields.

Speaking with The Citizen, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries in Zanzibar, Dr Kassim Gharib Juma, said there was an urgent need for investing in those areas in abid to avoid more damages.

“We’re establishing a plan of action that will bring government and private sectors in investments in the preservation of these areas to prevent climatic mutilations,” he said.

The study shows that coastal areas in Mainland and Zanzibar occupy 10 per cent of the country’s land area with almost 10 million people fully dependent on natural resources obtained from these areas. Dr Juma added that the damage was largely caused by deforestation resulting from daily human activities, including search for woodfuel and pasture and agriculture land encroaching on the areas.

“As a result, we have established specific areas of investment, including fisheries, agriculture, tourism, forestry, freshwater resources as well as industry.

“Others are ports and horbours, infrastructure, oil and gas, urbanisation, sand and rock mining, and sea salt which are for the next 10-year plan,” said the World Bank Environmental Specialist, Mr Daniel Salama.

The report further indicates a proposed budget for addressing the challenge, showing that the Mainland requires $658 million and Zanzibar $270 million.

The proposed action will focus on improving fisheries, protection of natural resources, addressing freshwater resource problem, and bulk targeting coastal pollution in Mainland.

In Zanzibar, the action will have to address threats of coastal livelihoods and ecosystems and improvement of fisheries.