DAR ES SALAAM: AS Tanzania accelerates industrialisation, urban expansion and infrastructure development, the role of environmental protection has never been more critical.
At the centre of this balancing act for the past four decades has been the National Environment Management Council (NEMC), the institution tasked with safeguarding the country’s environment while supporting sustainable economic growth.
This year, NEMC marks 40 years since its establishment, a milestone that reflects not only the evolution of environmental governance in Tanzania, but also the growing recognition that environmental protection is directly tied to economic prosperity, public health and national resilience.
Over the years, the council has emerged from a relatively small regulatory institution into one of the country’s key pillars in development planning, climate management and environmental oversight.
Speaking recently during a dialogue meeting between NEMC and journalists ahead of the institution’s 40th anniversary celebrations scheduled for tomorrow, NEMC Director of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, Ms Lilian Lukambuzi, highlighted the institution’s major achievements.
According to Ms Lukambuzi, NEMC has registered more than 25,000 projects over the past four decades and issued environmental certificates to more than 11,600 projects valued at over 45tri/-.
The figures reflect the scale of environmental supervision required in a rapidly growing economy, where infrastructure, mining, energy, tourism and urban development projects continue to expand across the country.
Among the flagship projects that benefited from NEMC’s guidance are the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), both regarded as strategic national investments aimed at transforming Tanzania’s economy.
NEMC’s role in such projects involves conducting Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), advising on mitigation measures and ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
“In implementing environmental conservation policies and regulations, NEMC has continued to establish zonal offices. Our goal for the next 40 years is to expand services to every district in order to strengthen project supervision and environmental management across the country,” Ms Lukambuzi said.
She added that the institution has registered more than 1,500 environmental experts and consultants, strengthening Tanzania’s capacity to manage environmental risks and prevent degradation.
While environmental conservation is often viewed as separate from economic development, experts increasingly argue that the two are inseparable.
Tanzania’s economy relies heavily on natural resources. Agriculture, tourism, fisheries, forestry and mining collectively support millions of livelihoods and contribute significantly to national income.
Environmental degradation, therefore, carries enormous economic consequences.
Over the past 40 years, NEMC has played a central role in protecting forests, water sources, wildlife habitats and marine ecosystems that underpin many productive sectors of the economy.
For example, environmental conservation supports tourism by protecting national parks, beaches and biodiversity. Forest protection helps maintain rainfall patterns essential for agriculture, while environmental regulation protects fishing grounds and fertile farmland.
Without effective environmental management, the country faces rising risks of droughts, floods, soil erosion, pollution and water scarcity, all of which threaten economic productivity and public welfare.
Environmental experts note that NEMC’s oversight has helped reduce environmental risks associated with major projects, saving the country billions of shillings in future restoration costs and disaster response.
As Tanzania pushes forward with industrialisation and infrastructure expansion, environmental regulation has become increasingly important in maintaining investor confidence.
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) help ensure that projects comply with national and international standards, minimise environmental damage and reduce conflicts with local communities.
This creates a more stable investment climate for sectors such as energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, transport and mining.
NEMC’s work has, therefore, become an important component of Tanzania’s broader economic transformation agenda.
At the same time, the institution has helped open opportunities in the growing green economy, including renewable energy, recycling industries, ecotourism, sustainable agriculture and carbon-credit initiatives.
These sectors are expected to become increasingly important sources of jobs and investment over the coming decades. NEMC officials say the institution is also undergoing significant operational transformation.
NEMC Director of Environmental Research, Dr Menan Jangu, said environmental management systems have improved considerably, with many operations now digitised to improve efficiency and service delivery.
The use of digital systems has enabled the institution to process information faster, monitor projects more effectively and extend services to more regions across the country.
In the future, environmental management is expected to rely even more heavily on technology, including satellite monitoring, GIS mapping, drones, AI-supported environmental monitoring and real-time pollution tracking systems.
Such technologies could strengthen transparency and enforcement while improving environmental planning and compliance monitoring.
Climate change is expected to become one of the defining environmental and economic challenges facing Tanzania in the coming decades.
Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, droughts, floods and coastal erosion are already affecting communities and productive sectors across the country.
Experts say NEMC’s role in climate adaptation, environmental monitoring and disaster preparedness will become increasingly important. The institution is also expected to play a larger role in climate financing, carbon market systems, climate resilience planning and environmental policy reforms.
As Tanzania’s population continues to grow, pressure on land, forests, water resources and waste systems is also expected to intensify.
Urbanisation, industrial growth and increased consumption are likely to create additional environmental pressures, including pollution, plastic waste and land degradation.
For this reason, environmental education and community participation are expected to become even more important.
During the dialogue meeting, journalists urged NEMC to intensify public awareness campaigns so that environmental conservation becomes part of everyday life in Tanzanian communities.
Closing the meeting, NEMC Director General, Dr Immaculate Semesi, commended journalists for helping raise awareness on environmental issues over the past 40 years.
“I would like to commend you for highlighting environmental challenges and destruction, including threats to water sources. You continue to follow environmental issues closely and help promote accountability,” Dr Semesi said.
She noted that journalists have played an important role in promoting waste recycling, policy reforms and environmental education.
“A nation with a culture of environmental conservation is strengthened through the media for the benefit of present and future generations. We greatly depend on you and will continue working together,” she added.
One of the most significant developments surrounding NEMC’s future is the government’s plan to transform the institution into a fully-fledged environmental authority.
According to Dr Semesi, the government is currently working on the proposal, with expectations that a Bill could be tabled in Parliament in September this year.
Analysts say such a transformation could significantly strengthen environmental governance in Tanzania.
Currently, NEMC mainly performs advisory and regulatory functions. A fully fledged authority will potentially have broader legal powers, stronger enforcement capacity, greater operational independence and improved financial autonomy.
This would strengthen its ability to act against illegal dumping, pollution, deforestation, environmental destruction and non-compliant industries and projects.
Environmental experts also argue that stronger institutional powers would improve coordination, accelerate decisionmaking and enhance Tanzania’s capacity to respond to climaterelated challenges.
As Tanzania enters a new era of economic transformation, the challenge will increasingly be how to balance rapid development with environmental sustainability.
Major infrastructure projects, industrial expansion, mining activities and urban growth all create environmental pressures that require careful management.
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The success of Tanzania’s future development may ultimately depend on whether the country can continue growing its economy without exhausting the natural resources that sustain millions of livelihoods.
After 40 years, NEMC’s journey reflects Tanzania’s broader transition toward recognising that environmental protection is no longer a secondary issue.
It is now central to economic planning, climate resilience, investment sustainability and the wellbeing of future generations.