Air Pollution and Climate Change in Tanzania Essay -- Africa Environme

Air Pollution and Climate Change in Tanzania In looking at how weather and climate effect Tanzanian society, it is important to emphasize how both increased air pollution and evidence of climate change are of growing concern to Tanzania’s future. A developing nation of roughly 38 million citizens invested in an economy primarily focused on agriculture, Tanzania is at this time unable to handle the growing issues it is facing as they relate to the livelihoods of the majority of its citizens. Prolonged drought has increased the importance of the country’s rainy season, and further amplified the threat of each year’s dry months, which last for the majority of the year. While many of Tanzania’s citizens worry about the lack of federal monitoring and legislation surrounding air pollution and climate change, they are often inadvertently contributing to their own demise as they struggle to survive with antiquated technology and lifestyles in general. As of September 2007, and as reported in September 2003, the Tanzanian government has no official policies or standards on air pollution that its industries and citizens must follow. Instead, due to a lack of financial and thus technical resources, little has been done to measure and assess the amount of harmful toxins in the air that the general population breathes daily, most especially in its densely populated cities. The Tanzanian government hasn’t sat completely idle however, and in general terms has addressed issues of air pollution in legislation dating back to the 1960s. However, the Merchant Shipping Act (1967), one of the first pieces of legislation mentioned the concept of air pollution, did not do so in a way that concentrated on the significant dangers raised pollution... ... aid Tanzania is likely to be destined to a fate it cannot and will not be able to control. References: APINA. â€Å"Tanzania—Country Fact Sheet.† Air Pollution Information Network – Africa. September 2003. . Kupaza, Ramdhani. â€Å"Tanzania: Expected Attitude Toward Air.† Arusha Times. 15 September 2007. . Loserian, David. â€Å"Climate Change and Poverty: Experiences in Eastern Tanzania, Morogoro Region.† Tanzania Forest Conservation Group. No Date. seors/file_storage/8mi6mz7utr9h9ce.pdf>. Paavola, Jouni. â€Å"Vulnerability to Climate Change in Tanzania: Sources, Substance and Solutions.† Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment. 19 June 2003. papers/paavola_tanzania.pdf>.