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The focus of German-Tanzanian development cooperation is on the UNESCO world heritage sites in Tanzania: the Serengeti National Park, the Nyerere National Park – which includes the Selous Game Reserve – and the Mahale and Katavi national parks in western Tanzania.

The aim is to improve the management of the protected areas and the living conditions of the local population. To that end, Germany is investing in social infrastructure like schools and health care facilities, and in rural roads and job creation. Improved wildlife management is intended to help avoid conflicts between people and wild animals, thus increasing the local population’s acceptance of protected areas. At the same time, Germany is giving the Tanzanian authorities assistance with regard to various aspects of managing protected areas, for example carrying out air patrols, and is supporting investments in radio communications systems and accommodation for park rangers.

To protect the Serengeti, Germany is supporting Tanzanian efforts to develop a bypass road to the south of the protected area. For this the BMZ is financing a feasibility study.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a dramatic drop in tourism revenue in the protected areas. In order to mitigate the impacts of the crisis, in 2020 and in 2021, Germany made commitments to its partner country of 35 million euros altogether for Emergency and Recovery Support for Biodiversity in Tanzania.

This funding is to be used to maintain the most important protective measures during the crisis, so as to avoid a massive increase in poaching and overuse. The measures include, in particular, equipping rangers, supporting communities on the edges of the protected areas and eco-system monitoring. In addition to that, efforts are to be made to reinvigorate sustainable tourism in the Serengeti.

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Zebras and wildebeest in the Serengeti in Tanzania

Tanzania’s natural resources offer great potential for the country’s economic development. The Tanzanian government is undertaking considerable efforts to protect biodiversity: 40 per cent of the country’s surface area (land and water) has been designated as protected areas. However, a high level of population growth and climate change are putting increased pressure on these natural resources – also in the protected areas on land and sea.

The results of this pressure include overfishing, unchecked expansion of agricultural land, overgrazing because of a growing number of cattle herds, illegal logging, water shortages and massive levels of poaching.

Furthermore, the conflicts between humans and wild animals have increased significantly: elephants are destroying fields, lions are snatching cattle, sheep and goats, crocodiles are attacking women who are fetching water. In the last two years, the number of fields reported as having been destroyed has almost doubled, rising from 833 to 1,510; the number of people killed by wild animals has also risen from 36 to 96 over the same period.

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Public water supply in Tanzania

German development cooperation with Tanzania in this area of intervention focuses on water supply and sanitation in small and medium-sized towns that are growing strongly, and on water resource management.

Using Financial Cooperation resources and working with the Green Climate Fund, the BMZ is financing measures such as a project for a year-round, climate-smart water supply to serve 400,000 people in the region of Simiyu by Lake Victoria. This project includes the construction of a 100-kilometre-long water pipeline from Lake Victoria into the interior of the country.

At the government negotiations held in the autumn of 2021, the importance of the integrated approach for future development cooperation was emphasised: in addition to water supply and wastewater management, joint activities are also to focus even more strongly in the future on the impacts of climate change and on protecting and managing natural water resources.

A project under Technical Cooperation is supporting watershed offices in carrying out climate-smart water resource management and is strengthening local water utilities and municipal administrations in their planning for improved water supply and sanitation. In addition, in order to address the COVID-19 pandemic, improved hygiene infrastructure in schools (so-called WASH measures) will be financed.

The still low level of development in Tanzania is evidenced, for example, by the inadequacy of water supplies and wastewater management (see also Social situation). Right now, around one third of the population has no secure access to drinking water and progress with regard to sanitation also continues to fall far short of what is needed.

There are many reasons for this, from strong population growth to the lack of infrastructure and the uncontrolled use and pollution of water resources by agriculture, generators of electric power, providers of water and sanitation, and the general population.

As a result of climate change, periods of extreme heat and heavy rainfall are becoming more frequent, affecting water availability and quality.