CLIMATE ACTION IN TANZANIA; An Elevator Pitch with Ambassador Regine Hess

From day one I knew, one of the best and easiest ways to become a no-do gooder is thinking that I have all the time in the world. Experiencing billions of sunrises and sunsets, without doing anything, has been my greatest fear. Today I look at the spectrum of the young people on a global lense and a few folks I know in person, who have dared to take their leadership sticks at a tender age and boldly change the narratives in their countries. I am more than impressed.

I am a bigger believer that development can’t be brought by Government Agencies, UN agencies, Politicians, CEO or Cult leaders only, BUT I also have enough space to change the narrative, set the bar and create whatever universe I want. In 2017 when I was in college pursuing my undergraduate studies, my academic advisor told me, “Marisa, you should be highly informed in everything you do in a sense that you can question Powerful Leaders”. This statement changed my DNA, it completely changed the way I looked at things.

I have always imagined being stuck in an elevator with a powerful leader and they kick-started the conversation. Will I be brave enough to impress them, tell them what they don’t know and create an avenue for us working in the line of forestry and development; Have I done enough work to connect with their hearts and minds to see the need to engage?

Picture it in this way. It’s January 2022 heading to the Development Partners Group meeting, I got myself in an elevator and met this phenomenal woman with her assistant. As we kept moving I couldn’t help noticing that phenomenal woman was Ambassador Regine Hess, on our way to the 20th floor we got on the 5th floor for 15 good minutes.

These are questions I was prompt to ask, and she has said it all;

What are the opportunities in climate change mitigation and adaptation that the German government sees in Tanzania?

Germany and Tanzania are partners in combating the causes and consequences of climate change. The new strategy of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), which defines the geographical and thematic priorities until 2030, lists Tanzania as one of the bilateral partner countries. Hence cooperation will remain close. In Tanzania, sectors such as agriculture, biodiversity, health, infrastructure and water are highly vulnerable to climate change. The need for adaptation in these and other sectors has been stressed as a priority in Tanzania’s updated NDC targets. German development cooperation is committed to addressing these challenges by seeking to mainstream climate change adaptation into its cooperation portfolio. For example, GIZ (German International Cooperation) with BMZ funding and in cooperation with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MoWi) is currently working on water security in the two catchment areas of Nyasa and Rukwa and the secondary cities of Mbeya, Songea and Tunduma. It combines climate-resilient water management in the upper reaches of the water catchments with water supply security in towns and cities in the lower reaches.

Tanzania’s conditional mitigation goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions between 30% and 35% relative to the Business as usual (BAU) scenario by 2030 focusing on energy, transport, forestry, and waste management. Tanzania can put to practice many successful projects implemented in other African countries. I.E. the introduction of energy-saving stoves can help to reduce the use of charcoal which threatens the forests of Tanzania. Or use proven and inexpensive methods of agroforestry to improve agricultural land so that it stores more water, is more fertile and allows for better yield. International partners could prove supportive in achieving these goals by collaborating on technology transfer, governance, measurement/reporting/verification and capacity development said, Ambassador Regine Hess.

What is the German government currently doing in helping the FIVE YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN in Tanzania, especially in the Climate Action?

Via GIZ, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with co-funding by the USA provided support for the National Adaptation Plan process in Tanzania. Germany supports the implementation of the FYDP III amongst other things through the support of the WSDP II implemented by the Ministry of Water.

This involves:

- Developing climate-resilient infrastructure for water supply and sanitation services in urban areas.

- Increasing the climate resilience of rural and urban households and improving policies and regulation for cross-sectoral action towards climate adaptation. — Cooperating with LGAs, Basin Water Boards, Water Supply and Sanitation Authorities, civil society organisations and representatives from industries and agricultural water users in applying the water catchment approach laid out in the water act 2019, said Ambassador Regine Hess.

In what angle the German government would like to advise Tanzania, in grabbing and attaining support to strengthen the opportunities in Climate Action from the Global North?

• As the provision of information and analyses in the countries forms an important basis for decision-making on successful climate risk management, Germany works together with the scientific community, among others. Since 2018, it has been supporting the preparation of climate risk profiles and more comprehensive Climate Risk Analyses in selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).
• The analyses and profiles are used in particular to plan adaptation strategies for agriculture, a key component in ensuring food security for a growing population. A risk profile for Tanzania has been published:

In recent years, climate action pioneers such as Rwanda and Costa Rica have experienced great support from the international community to strengthen their outstanding engagement and act as lighthouses within their regions. Germany would like to encourage Tanzania to go ahead as a climate action pioneer, reach out to partner countries to support their ambitions and transition towards a modern future. We are seeing that International Climate Networks are having a large impact on advancing climate action globally. International networks are a great tool to get access to climate finance, technical support, knowledge and experiences, capacity building as well as solutions for common challenges. Germany would like to promote Tanzania’s active engagement in relevant international climate networks to gain access to the international climate community.

Tanzania is rich in assets that can be used to offset CO2 for companies in the Global North like savannas and biodiversity. And Tanzania`s nature can be used to store CO2 like the mangroves on its coast. Continuous effort to protect these assets can be turned into financing.

Germany especially encourages the Tanzanian Partner to get engaged with the NDC Partnership to attain further support on strengthening climate action. The NDC Partnership is the global initiative to coordinate support for the implementation and further development of the National Determined Contributions (NDCs) in developing countries and emerging economies worldwide. Since its inception, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) have supported the NDC Partnership financially and politically. Germany is the largest donor. The NDC Partnership matches concrete, climate-relevant support requests from partner countries with offers from various donors and promotes the financial and technical capacities for effective implementation of the NDCs. The processes are “country-driven,” meaning that partner countries are in the driver’s seat and pursue their priorities for climate action.

Tanzania shall pursue the withdrawal from coal and pursue the transformation to renewable energies, that is solar, wind and hydropower. Also, Germany can assist when it comes to offering the right technology to do so. President Samia Suluhu Hassan attended COP 26, this could be the start for Tanzania to position itself as the frontrunner in the East African Community to claim climate justice said, Ambassador Regine Hess.

We all have a purpose to convey value, a purpose to set bars in Tanzania.