Samarkand. Local communities and grassroots organizations in Tanzania face considerable challenges in accessing environmental and climate finance, despite global funding opportunities being available, according to Mr. Tumaini Marijani, a prominent environmental advocate in Tanzania.
At the Eighth Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly in Samarkand, Mr. Marijani, who serves as the Regional Focal Point for the GEF Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Network, emphasized the need for simplified funding procedures and enhanced government support to help local communities utilize such resources.
“It is difficult for local communities and small organisations to access these funds,” he stated in an interview with The Citizen.
Mr. Marijani noted that many rural communities are often unaware of funding opportunities like the GEF Small Grants Programme, which offers grants up to $50,000 (approximately Sh130 million) for community-based environmental initiatives.
He suggested that funding opportunities be translated into Kiswahili and made accessible at district and ward levels to better inform local communities.
Mr. Marijani highlighted the role of government institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, and media in raising awareness regarding environmental financing opportunities.
“The media has a critical role to play. Many farmers cannot access the UNDP or GEF websites. It is our responsibility to inform people that these opportunities exist and encourage them to apply,” he said.
In addition to finance access, he called for greater government support for affordable clean energy solutions to alleviate pressure on forests, pointing out that Tanzania loses an estimated 400,000 hectares of forest annually due to charcoal production and firewood collection.
“We need practical solutions that communities can afford. The government should consider subsidizing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), solar energy, and biogas technologies to help rural households reduce dependence on charcoal and firewood,” he argued.
Mr. Marijani also stressed the importance of linking environmental conservation programs to food security and livelihoods.
“If we separate environmental conservation from food production, we overlook the reality facing smallholder farmers who are struggling to cope with climate change,” he said.
He recommended promoting fruit tree planting over a focus solely on timber species, explaining that income from fruit trees provides an incentive for farmers to protect them.
As climate change leads to prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall in East Africa, Mr. Marijani urged increased investment in water harvesting technologies, small-scale irrigation, and livestock feed storage.
“We know that every year, there will be rainy seasons followed by dry periods. Communities should be trained to harvest rainwater, preserve livestock feed, and adopt innovative farming technologies,” he said.
He emphasized that agriculture should increasingly be viewed as a business to enhance productivity while conserving natural resources.
On the subject of biodiversity conservation, Mr. Marijani warned that Tanzania risks losing critical ecosystems without urgent action.
“We need a national campaign to protect the ecosystems we inherited from previous generations. If we fail to act now, some of these ecosystems may disappear completely,” he stated.
He cited the Mkumbawana Pari Museum in Mwanga District, Kilimanjaro Region, as an example of indigenous communities successfully protecting forests and water sources through traditional knowledge.
“They have protected these resources for generations without advanced technology. There is a great deal we can learn from local communities,” he noted.
Mr. Marijani also called for reforms in global climate finance mechanisms to allocate a larger share of funding directly to civil society organizations.
“We are advocating for up to 20 percent of GEF funding to go directly to civil society organisations because they work closest to communities and can deliver impact more quickly,” he said.
He further urged Tanzania to enhance its participation in international environmental forums, highlighting the value of these events in connecting local organizations with global funders and development partners.
“The financiers are here, the donors are here, and the opportunities are here. We need to ensure that our youth, women, and community organisations are connected to these global networks,” he concluded.
Source: www.thecitizen.co.tz via Google News.
