Speech by President Benjamin William Mkapa at the Workshop on the Environment, Kilimanjaro Hotel, Dar Es Salaam, July 24, 1996

Honourable Ministers and Members of Parliament;
Your Excellencies,
Heads of Diplomatic Missions;
The Chairman of the Wildlife Conservation Society of
Tanzania, Mr. Marten Lumbanga;
The Organizing Committee for the Workshop;
Distinguished Guests and Environmentalists;
Ladies and Gentlemen.

I must say at the outset that I am most grateful for the opportunity accorded to me to participate in this opening session of the workshop on the environment in Tanzania - a workshop geared towards putting the environment firmly on the national agenda. It is an opportunity I intend to use to explain the environmental challenges ahead of us from the Government's point of view. I also hope that my presence here in person will not be in vain, but will give the workshop the prominence and boost it so much deserves, and provide a new impetus in addressing those challenges.

Mr. Chairman,
It is common knowledge that our country is generously endowed with natural resources - with a reasonable spread of rainfall, as yet good soils, abundant vegetation in many areas, and an astonishing variety of wildlife. Successive Governments have acknowledged this natural wealth and created protection mechanisms for some of these resources. Tanzania, for instance, is globally renowned for her National Parks and Game Reserves. Over 20% of our land consists of legally protected areas, and the ratio is still growing, albeit slowly. We have a genuine reason to feel proud of our record in this form of conservation.

But we have no reason to feel proud about our record in other areas of environmental conservation - a concept that goes far beyond narrow definitions of wildlife conservation. For, indeed the wildlife we are so keen to protect, and our own human existence, depends on the protection and sustainance of a delicate balance in the entire ecosystem. We need a renewed commitment to protect the entire ecosystem, and to appreciate the complicated linkages between the base natural resources, including water, soils, vegetation cover, biodiversity in flora, fauna, and all other living organisms. It is quite clear that so far we have not been very successful in protecting these resources.

Deforestation, through cutting trees or bush fires, continues to expose our rich soils to rain water which washes them away into the sea, covering and killing coral reefs, which reefs are essential for the protection of our beaches from marine erosion.

Soils and rains must be good so that there can be enough grass to feed enough numbers of antelopes to provide food for the lions, which then do not need to go looking for human flesh! I illustrate these linkages to show how important it is to conserve and protect the entire resource base of our country, in a coordinated manner, especially in view of the fact that in terms of Government structure, these resources fall under the jurisdiction of different ministries - such as the Ministry of Water, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture, and others.

Mr. Chairman,
Tanzania is a country that will for many years continue to depend on agriculture as the mainstay of its economy. As we have not yet attained the technological capability to dispense with soil in agricultural production, the question of soil conservation and sustainable land use remains paramount. I am not sure, however, if enough is being done to sufficiently translate this primary importance into concrete goals and coordinated courses of action. Instead what we see on the one hand is a fast-growing population, at almost 3% per annum, creating greater future demands for fertile soils, and on the other hand continued loss of forest and vegetative cover, loss of soil resources, declining soil fertility, dwindling water resources and so on.

Yet we have in our statute books laws intended to protect these resources. I have only a few days ago returned from a visit to Coast, Lindi and Mtwara regions. Everywhere I went along the coast people were complaining of the disastrous effects of dynamite fishing. Dynamite fishing is illegal, yet it continues unabated, and is perpetrated by our fellow Tanzanians with a myopic view of self-development which eventually translates not only in self-destruction but the destruction of means of livelihood for entire communities.

Likewise, I grieved as I always do upon seeing the still vivid disastrous effects of the 1990 floods that caused huge landslides in the Makonde Plateau - all as a result of the human destruction of natural vegetative cover. Forest reserve encroachment is illegal, yet it still goes on. I could give more examples of the divergence between declared government policy, often backed by law, and what actually happens on the ground. Something must be wrong with our approach and we must address it now.

For today we are only 28 mi. Tanzanians. What will happen to the 50 mi. Tanzanians that will inhabit this country 20 years down the road?

Mr. Chairman,
We need renewed commitments, and partnerships for concerted environmental protection, and especially the protection of our base natural resources of soil, water, and vegetative cover. The partnerships must cut across the entire spectrum of society - including the Government, the People, Non-Governmental Organisations, the Private Sector and our regional and international partners.

Government will give environmental issues the priority they deserve in line with the United Nations Charter for Sustainable Development - AGENDA 21 - to which we are signatories. The people and NGO's must be more active in planning and executing environmental plans, resource use plans and resource protection programmes. The private sector must be more sensitive to the environmental impact of its development activities and investments. For surely we need investments and development - but not at the expense of the environment that sustains future generations. Whenever in doubt, environmental impact assessments must always be undertaken prior to the execution of new projects.

Mr. Chairman,
Environmental issues cut across national boundaries. Examples include environmental problems in Lake Victoria in East Africa, and acid rain in Europe. Tanzania has joined the growing family of nations who have pledged their support to conserving global environmental values. We will cooperate with all countries and institutions that share our concern for the environment, and are willing to work with us for its protection.

Mr. Chairman,
The Third Phase Government has inherited the good work on the environment done by previous Governments and will take it to higher levels. In the last few months for instance:

1. We have moved the responsibility for the environment
from within a Department in a sectoral Ministry to the Office of the Vice President. This will provide an over-sight capability to ensure environmental concerns are taken into account by all sectors.

2. We are reviewing the Environmental Policy and soon
we hope to have a functional policy, to be followed by environmental legislation - with teeth!

3. We have started the process towards greater
empowerment of the people in environmental protection.

4. We have begun to re-examine our Environmental
Strategy and Action Plan, and we expect to build closer linkages with our regional and global partners.

I note also that Parliament is creating a Standing Committee for the Environment. This is a clear indication of the priority that environmental matters are now receiving in our national affairs.

Mr. Chairman,
My illustrious predecessor, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, signed the Arusha Manifesto in 1961. The Manifesto has since then become an important landmark statement for Wildlife Conservation, both nationally and internationally. Perhaps we should move in the same direction in respect of the new and broader goals of environmental protection and sustainable development in Tanzania today.

My Government is a CCM Government guided by the 1995 CCM Election Manifesto. Before I conclude I want us to derive inspiration from the section on Environmental Protection of the Manifesto which states as follows:

"Chama Cha Mapinduzi, conscious of the imperative need to protect our environment so as to promote and sustain national development, will continue to agitate for soil conservation and afforestation in deforested areas, and those at risk of desertification. Those areas covered with natural forests, sources of water, and mountains will be protected against human encroachment. In addition, CCM will continue to put pressure on the Government to enact more water-tight laws to restrain those responsible for environmental pollution, unnecessary bush fires, and uncontrolled cutting of trees. Pollution in residential areas, especially in urban areas, will be checked by among other things, controlling air pollution from industrial emissions, vehicles, dust and other sources of pollution. The people, individually and in their communities, will be fully involved including being educated on environmental protection in both urban and rural areas."

Mr. Chairman,
Proceeding from this Manifesto I would, therefore, like to take this opportunity to pledge, on behalf of myself, my Government, and the People of Tanzania, the following:

1. That Tanzania is fully committed to the principles of Sustainable Development, to which we subscribed at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.

2. That Tanzania recognizes the fundamental role of her environment and natural resource base in underpinning sustainable development. The environment in its totality must, therefore, receive greater attention and greater priority from the Government and the People of Tanzania.

3. That Government will strengthen environmental institutions - developing compatible and environmentally friendly sectoral policies that are founded on social equity.

4. That Tanzania realises that all our people - in rural and urban communities; in private and public sectors; in business and in Government - need to be more conscious of environmental issues and have the capacity to assume greater responsibility for safeguarding our environment.

Mr. Chairman,
This workshop has the benefit of an impressive list of highly qualified speakers and resource persons. I have every reason to look forward to seeing the output from the discussion groups of this Workshop as you debate how these ideas can be implemented. I commend the workshop organisers and their parent institutions in the NGO and academic community. I thank the Royal Netherlands Embassy for their support. It is this form of committed partnership - from Government, from NGOs and people, from academicians, and from donors, that will promote sustainable and environmentally friendly development. We pledge our commitment to nurture such a partnership.
Thank you.