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Tanzania: REPOA Reports Rise in Environmental Degradation, Calls for Urgent Actions

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THE Executive Director of the Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA), Dr Donald Mmari said on Monday that the environmental degradation has increased by 26 per cent over the past seven years, from 2015 to 2022.

He said the research project conducted by REPOA shows that the area affected by environmental degradation has increased from 312,000 hectares to 469,000 hectares in the period from 2015 to 2022.

Dr Mmari was speaking during a meeting with journalists. The meeting also brought together experts from REPOA and the Tanzania Industrial Research and Development Organisation (TIRDO).

He said the project has yielded significant benefits, including outreach to many producers currently engaged in the production of alternative charcoal across 12 regions.

“If further action is not taken, the situation could worsen in the coming years, as the use of charcoal derived from firewood remains high in both rural and urban areas, posing dangers to the environment and public health,” warned Dr Mmari.

The Director General of TIRDO, Prof Mkumbukwa Mtambo, called on both producers and consumers to utilise alternative charcoal to protect the environment and their health.

He urged alternative charcoal producers to utilise TIRDO’s laboratories to ensure that the products distributed to communities are clean, safe and comply with legal health standards.

Furthermore, Prof Mtambo elaborated that TIRDO was able to collect 42 samples and found that nearly 50 per cent did not meet the required standards.