Tanzania and a new era of environmental stewardship
The movement to make September 20 World Cleanup Day officially recognised by the United Nations has grown from grassroots origins into a global catalyst for environmental action. PHOTO | FILE
By Bryan Bwana
The movement to make September 20 World Cleanup Day officially recognised by the United Nations has grown from grassroots origins into a global catalyst for environmental action.
For Tanzania, 2025 is an opportunity not just to join in, but to lead. It is a turning point in how we steward our land, waters and communities.
In 2008, young environmentalists started an idea of making the world a better place through public clean-up initiatives. In September 2017, the new and revitalised world clean-up movement began in Tallinn, Estonia, sparking local action with global resonance.
By September 2018, more than 18 million people in 157 countries participated in the first global clean-up.
From 2019 to 2022, the initiative scaled rapidly, mobilising over 100 million volunteers participated across over 200 countries and territories.
On June 6, 2023, during a World Environment Day side event in New York, Estonia and over 60 UN member states proposed formal UN recognition of World Cleanup Day.
On December 8, 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution by consensus, designating 20 September each year as the official UN International Day for World Cleanup.
The first UN-designated World Cleanup Day was observed on September 20, 2024, challenging nations to mobilise communities, bolster environment policies and accelerate transitions toward circular economies.
Tanzania has begun restoration efforts in Rufiji, with plans to replant up to 16,000 hectares of mangroves over five years under a national/regional plan budgeted at approximately Sh7.34 billion ($3.16 million). Such tree planting initiatives keep our environment clean, cooler and create carbon sinks to clean up Green House Gases.
To ensure that September 20 becomes a symbolic day in Tanzania and marks the start of systemic, sustained environmental impact, the following are proposed:
1. National Clean-Up Day Act
Pass legislation designating 20 September as an annual national cleanup day, with enabling provisions for monthly or quarterly community cleanups driven by local governments. Tanzania has been at the forefront of such nationwide clean-up exercises.
2. Strengthen ESIA/EIA oversight and transparency
Increase the number of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) issued and enforce compliance. Ensure that large projects (mining, infrastructure, agriculture, telecoms etc.) publicly publish assessment reports, include local community voices and provide follow-up verifications.
3. Restore and protect forests and mangroves
Prioritise funding and enforcement for reforestation under AFR100, restoration of mangrove ecosystems (e.g., Rufiji) and protection of primary forests; incentivse local communities (e.g., through payment for ecosystem services or alternative livelihoods) to reduce dependence on charcoal and firewood and effectively engage in greening school campaigns, etc.
4. Wetland protection laws and management plans
Update management plans for key Ramsar and wetland sites (Kilombero Valley, Malagarasi-Muyovosi, Rufiji-Mafia-Kilwa, Lake Natron). Strengthen multi-sectoral coordination between forestry, agriculture, water, fisheries, wildlife and land use. Expand protected area status and buffer zones.
5. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and waste regulation
Implement producer responsibility laws (plastics, mining, apparel/textiles, electronics, agriculture, etc) to ensure that manufacturers, importers and producers manage waste at end-of-life. Ban or restrict non-biodegradable packaging. Enforce penalties for illegal dumping and littering.
6. Citizen engagement and education
Integrate sustainable waste management, circular economy and environmental stewardship in school curricula. Support community groups, youth organisations and faith-based organisations to lead local cleanup and monitoring actions.
7. Data, monitoring and reporting
Build a national digital monitoring platform to track cleanup events, waste volumes, types (plastic, organics, textiles), participant numbers and areas cleaned. Use this for policy planning, reporting and public accountability.
8. Budgetary commitments and decentralisation
Allocate funds in the national and district budgets for waste management infrastructure (collection, bins, transport), public sanitation and cleanup equipment. Empower local government authorities with both mandate and resources.
Let’s Do It, Tanzania
On September 20, 2025, at 6am, Let’s Do It Tanzania, Umoja Conservation Trust (UCT), together with Regional Centre for Human Security, Nipe Fagio, Tanzania Environmental Experts Association (TEEA) and other partners, call on all Tanzanians — urban and rural, young and old — to unite in a national cleanup exercise.
Gather with neighbours, schools and faith groups. Bring gloves, brooms and sacks. Always separate your waste into plastics, textiles, organics (where possible).
Record and share your outcomes: how many participated, tonnes of each waste type collected, areas cleaned. Post with hashtags or via local reporting channels.
Every piece of uncollected waste erodes public health, damages ecosystems and undermines climate resilience. By strengthening laws, holding producers accountable, restoring ecosystems and mobilising citizens, Tanzania can secure a cleaner, greener, more resilient tomorrow.
Let September 20 be the turning point for Tanzania and for all of Africa. Let it be a day when we reclaim our rivers, wetlands, streets, forests and collective hope. Our forests can be restored, our mangroves regenerated, our wetlands revived and our communities empowered.
Tanzania, it’s possible.
Bryan Toshi Bwana is a Founding Trustee, Umoja Conservation Trust. www.umojaconservation.org
