Climate change dogs Tanzania's economic growth

Finnigan Wa Simbeye in AllAfrica.com via the Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam): Climate change which has resulted in erratic weather pattern cut the country's gross domestic product by one per cent during 2009 droughts. Climate Change Advisor at United Nations Development Programme, Dr Amani Ngusaru said in Dar es Salaam on Monday that Bank of Tanzania 2009 annual report showed that the country lost a percentage of GDP because of droughts which ravaged farms, killed millions of livestock and affected hydro-electric power generation.

"Climate change is already affecting the country's economy which means that the government should mainstream this into national programmes," Dr Ngusaru said as Tanzania and other United Nations members prepare for a Durban Conference of Parties (COP 17) meeting due to start later this month. He mentions such programmes like National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (Mkukuta), Kilimo Kwanza and others.

Dr Ngusaru said in order to address causes of climate change, the UN is supporting the country through participatory forest management and establish national governance framework for Reduction of Emissions for Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD). "It is important that communities conserve forests which are important in checking against climate change as trees absorb carbon dioxide which they use to manufacture food," he pointed out saying under the UN REDD initiative communities will get paid for protecting forests.

Assistant Director for Environment at Vice President's Office, Richard Muyungi urged rural communities to avoid giving their land to investors because land and forests are an asset which will soon yield billions of shillings....