Tanzania: Initiative to restore Tanzania coastline with 1 million mangrove trees launched

DAR ES SALAAM, Sept 28 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — A one-year-campaign geared to restore mangrove forest with one million trees along Tanzania’s coastline has been launched in Dar es Salaam as a part plan to curb effects of climate change in the country.

The project is a part of nearly 5bn/- programme which is being supported by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). Other areas of a programme are community empowerment in agriculture, organic agriculture and environment awareness campaigns in schools.

To attain target, 50 Ismaili community student volunteers planted 1,500 mangrove saplings at Mjimwema Mangrove Forest in Kigamboni, Dar es Salaam as Tanzania Shia Ismaili Muslim community celebrated Global Ismaili CIVIC Day on Sunday.

Speaking at the event, Aga Khan Foundation’s Head of Climate Change and Resilient Programme Robert Mganzi said mangrove trees along the coastline have been adversely affected by growing human activities including building settlement and industrialization hence the launched programme.

He added that the one-year project will cover Dar es Salaam, Coast, Lindi and Mtwara, which are bordering the Indian Ocean.

“One acre of mangrove can reduce 400 tonnes a year, and 1,500 planted trees can offset nearly 3,000 tonnes of the carbon,” he said.

On the other side, the volunteers in collaboration collected 8.2 tonnes of waste, the majority being plastics at Kawe Beach in the outskirts of the city.

Explaining the matter, Mganzi said despite the plastics ban and enactment of regulations on plastic usage in the country, plenty of them are still being found in the environment especially along Indian beaches hence cleaning of the areas is an ongoing exercise.

Amin Kurji, the Resident Representative for the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for Tanzania said the umbrella organization is supporting the country in various areas including health, education and environment.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK