United Nations Poverty-Environment Initiative
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Tanzania
Please download the PEI Country fact sheet on Tanzania (PDF)


Basic facts of the PEI in Tanzania
  • The first phase of PEI–Tanzania (October 2003-December 2006) focused on “Integrating Environment into the Poverty Reduction Strategy Process”.  The programme was jointly prepared by the Government of Tanzania and UNDP and funded by Danida, DFID, UNDP and UNEP (with contributions from Belgium and Norway).
  • The second and current phase (July 2007-December 2010) focuses on “Integrating Environment into National Strategy for Growth and the Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP/MKUKUTA) Implementation”.
  • The Joint Programme UNDP-Tanzania / PEI is executed by the Government of Tanzania through national partner institutions, led by the Vice-President’s Office (VPO) / Department of Environment (DoE) in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Economy and Empowerment, National Environmental Management Council, National Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, and Prime Minister’s Office/Regional Administration and Local Government.
  • The total budget is close to USD 7 million: USD 2,930,000 (2003-2006) and USD 4,000,000 (2007- 2010).
  • In 2008, the PEI was instrumental in the development of a One UN Joint Program on Environment and Climate Change (2008-2010) that brings together 5 UN Agencies (FAO, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNIDO) under the One UN Programme Framework. This Joint Programme includes core PEI activities related to mainstreaming environmental sustainability in sector and sub-national planning processes and environmental fiscal reform.  Agency resources are complemented by funding from the multi-donor supported One UN Fund.

The context of mainstreaming of environment in Tanzania

  • The 1st PRSP was developed in 2000. A national Poverty Monitoring System (PMS) was set up as an integral part of the strategy in order to facilitate the evaluation of progress towards poverty reduction. Environment was recognized in the paper as a cross-cutting issue, but the profound linkages between poverty and environment in the country were not adequately addressed.
  • In 2001, the Government of Tanzania / Vice-President’s Office initiated a process aimed at integrating environment into the PRS process, including the Poverty Monitoring System and Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The PEI programme was initiated in response to a request by the Vice-President’s Office to UNDP for assistance in this process.
  • In 2005, as an outcome of a formal PRS review process, the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP), known by its Swahili acronym MKUKUTA, was adopted. As a result of the PEI programme, poverty-environment issues are integrated in the strategy, and poverty-environment indicators have been incorporated into the revised PMS now known as the MKUKUTA Monitoring System.
  • Following the adoption of the MKUKUTA, the challenge is to ensure that the poverty-environment issues are integrated in its implementation through sector and local level plans, budgets and programs.

Main activities of the PEI (Phase 2)

The current poverty-environment programme builds on the successful mainstreaming of environment into the NSGRP/MKUKUTA achieved during the first phase of the programme, and the enactment of the Environmental Management Act.  The programme focuses on the realization of environmental targets contained in the MKUKUTA and contributes to the implementation of the Environmental Management Act through support to the following four components:

  • Capacity strengthening to integrate environment in sector and district plans and implement strategic poverty-environment interventions at local level;
  • Improved access and utilization of poverty-environment data in the MKUKUTA process and local level planning ;
  • Sustainable financing of environment targets in the MKUKUTA and in local level planning processes; and
  • Promotion of efficient utilization of rangelands and empowering pastoralists through improved livestock productivity and market access

The UN will combine interventions at the policy level with implementation in the field and contribute to the implementation of environmental management in sector plans and processes through providing complementary support to the Environmental Management Act implementation.

What has been achieved to date?

Improved understanding of governance and capacity issues affecting potential for sustained, country-led poverty-environmental mainstreaming

  • The PEI programme supported drafting of new environmental legislation, the Environmental Management Act (EMA) which was enacted in 2004.
  • Strengthened national capacity to carry out integrated environmental assessment and reporting through the production of scientific credible and policy relevant national and/or city state of the environment reports. An inter-sectoral team led by VPO and NEMC have identified the key thematic areas and issues that will be used to prepare Dar es-Saalam City Environment and Climate Change Outlook report.

Improved collaboration between environmental agencies, planning/finance agencies and key donors in mainstreaming environment into national development planning processes

  • The PEI programme enabled different environmental actors to engage in the PRS review process laying a foundation for future co-operation. The programme has also had a significant role in disseminating the MKUKUTA to civil society actors across the country.
  • The PEI programme has been able to respond to capacity building needs of the national implementing agencies (Vice-President’s Office, National Environmental Management Council, local government authorities). Zonal “Training of Trainer” workshops have been carried out on mainstreaming livelihood data into district plans and awareness raising on environment management tools (e.g. Environmental Impact Assessments, Strategic Environmental Assessments)

Improved understanding of contribution of environment to poverty reduction and growth

  • Focused research on environmental issues through the development of a National Environment Research Agenda (NERA) has been carried out and funding made available to proposals from researchers.  The focus has shifted from environment protection to environmental issues as challenges to livelihoods, vulnerability, health and economic growth objectives.
  • The Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) methodology was introduced and a pilot IEA Study was carried out for the Livingstone Mountain Ranges.
  • A regular poverty-environment Newsletter with articles in both English and Swahili is produced and disseminated to MDAs, Research Institutions and Civil Society Organisations at various events.
  • Civil Society Organizations trained on understanding poverty and environment related policy frameworks including MKUKUTA, Environment Management Act (EMA), Climate Change, and sustainable income generation opportunities.

Integration of poverty-environment issues in key planning frameworks for poverty reduction, growth and national MDG targets (plans, budgets, monitoring frameworks)

  • Successful integration of environment into MKUKUTA and its Monitoring System.  Environmental concerns have been integrated into all three clusters of MKUKUTA: 16 out of 96 development targets are related to environment. Ten poverty-environment indicators have been incorporated into the MKUKUTA Monitoring System, comprising of 60 different indicators. 
  • An Environment statistics module has been developed and incorporated into Tanzania’s web based Social Economic Database (TSED) at www.tsed.org. This is complemented by an environment statistics publication that incorporates poverty and environment indicators collected from across sectors.
  • Interim reports on assessing the implementation of Environment commitments in the National Strategy for Growth and Poverty Reduction (MKUKUTA) and an analysis of Poverty/Environment Issues. The studies will be used to used to inform the development of the new Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy, the new Long Term Growth Strategy for Tanzania and the United Nations Development Assistance Plan in 2010

Improved financing strategy to meet investment targets through domestic resource mobilisation and harmonised donor support

  • The budgetary allocation for environment has increased since 2005 following a Public Expenditure Review on environment that highlighted critical investments required.
  • Studies on environmental budgeting in three districts (Sengerema, Singida and Mbozi) and Public Expenditure Review of Kongwa district undertaken.
  • Training for key sectors (wetlands, tourism) on economic evaluation on natural resources carried out and evaluation of Ihefu wetland ongoing.

Lessons learned

  • The housing of both the Poverty Eradication Division (PED) and the Division of Environment (DOE) in the Vice President’s Office (VPO) at the beginning of the PEI programme was a great benefit for mainstreaming poverty and environment issues in the National Strategy for Growth and Poverty Reduction. Challenges to collaboration have arisen since the move of Poverty Eradication Division to Ministry of Planning and later the Ministry of Finance.
  • Making the case for environment in the framework of national development challenges including poverty reduction provided a focus to operationalize the discussion of the importance of environmental sustainability making it practical, concrete and real rather than an abstract issue.
  • Establishing an entry point is critical. As national planning, decision making and consensus building tool, the PRSP (MKUKUTA) provided the basis for getting agreement on the relevance of environmental issues for national development goals.
  • Involving relevant stakeholders from government, research institutions and NGOs at national, sector and local levels as well as promoting their effective participation is very important to successful mainstreaming.
  • There is a need to provide capacity development support over a sustained period for government bodies responsible for developing and monitoring the PRS at national, sector and district level.
  • Focusing on implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms contributes to making the effort operational. This includes the incorporation of poverty-environment indicators into the monitoring system and enhanced coordination of data collection.
  • Pooling of government, UN and donor resources into a joint programme helped to achieve results.
  • Moving from policy commitments to actions requires sustained effort by champions in key sectors with strong coordination and technical support from lead policy and decision making institutions in poverty and environment.

Key documents for PEI Tanzania

Way forward

  • Moving from ‘making a general case’ to ‘committing to specific actions’ and mainstreaming environment in key sector programmes and budgets, such as energy, agriculture and water.
  • Strengthening the capacity of sector and sub-national/local government authorities to identify and integrate poverty- environment issues into sector and district development planning processes.
  • Tackling under-investment in environmental assets through better economic analysis and business models for environmental investments, including mobilization of government and donor resources for environment.
  • Continuing generation of evidence, advocacy and awareness-raising on poverty-environment linkages within the context of the ongoing national review of the current National Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (MKUKUTA) and development of it successor in 2010.
  • Increased emphasis on poverty and budgeting aspects through increased collaboration with PED and the UNDP Poverty Unit.


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