Tanzania’s Green Economy: Reducing Methane Emissions for a Sustainable Future

Tanzania's focus on reducing methane emissions from waste and livestock sectors involves comprehensive and collaborative strategies that not only address environmental concerns but also aim to boost economic growth and resilience, particularly for urban areas and the agricultural sector. These efforts are expected to position Tanzania as a leader in sustainable development and climate action.

Methane Emission Sources:

• Solid Waste: Nearly 60% of waste in Dar es Salaam is food waste, which significantly contributes to methane emissions when it decomposes in disposal sites.
• Livestock Sector: Tanzania's large livestock population (36.6 million cattle) is a major source of methane emissions, particularly from the digestive processes of animals.

Economic and Environmental Initiatives:

• Global Methane Initiative: Tanzania is part of a global effort spearheaded by the World Bank to reduce methane emissions as part of broader climate action strategies.
• Urban Waste Management: The Dar es Salaam Metropolitan Development Project (DMDP) aims to modernize waste management infrastructure, focusing on reduction, reuse, recycling, and treatment to mitigate methane emissions.

Sector-Specific Strategies:

• Livestock: Strategies to reduce methane emissions include optimizing feeding practices and implementing efficient manure management. The World Bank is developing a framework to monitor and improve methane emissions in livestock operations.
• Solid Waste Management: Initiatives such as food waste processing using black soldier fly larvae and composting facilities aim to reduce emissions. The scaling of these projects could significantly decrease methane emissions from food waste.

Collaborative Efforts:

• The initiative involves collaboration among the Government of Tanzania, private sector, civil society, communities, and international partners such as the British High Commission, Government of Sweden, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and the World Bank.

Economic Impact:

• Livestock Sector: Reducing methane emissions can enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the livestock sector, which is crucial for the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Mitigation strategies could simultaneously reduce emissions by 13% and increase production by 29%.
• Urban Development: Improved waste management systems are expected to enhance urban resilience and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future, potentially attracting further international interest and investment.

Climate Change Mitigation:

• Addressing methane emissions is a cost-effective way to combat global warming, given methane's potency as a greenhouse gas. Tanzania's efforts in this regard align with global climate action goals and have the potential to set a benchmark for sustainable urban development and climate resilience.

Source: World Bank, 2024