Pangani. The Tanzania Coastal Management Partnership (TCMP) Pwani is playing a major role to manage the environment and alleviate poverty in villages, Pangani District executive director Neneka Rashidi said.

The project covers a coastline of 348 km in Bagamoyo, Pangani and Zanzibar.

TCMP Pwani, which is financed by the United States Agency for International Development, has been getting technical support from the Coastal Resources Centre of the University of Rhode Island.

Its objective is to enable coastal villagers to undertake income-generating projects and stop destroying the ecosystem. TCMP covers 3,270 sq km at the Lower Wami River area and 1,114 sq km at Saadani National Park including a marine area of 60 sq km) and 500 sq km at the Menai Bay Conservation area in Zanzibar.

According to TCMP Pwani Project publication titled “Sustaining our Coasts for Current and Future Generations”, 39 coastal wards — 21 in Zanzibar and 18 on the Mainland — where 200,000 people live, are covered. Mr Rashidi said in his office that TCMP’s rapid assessment had been conducted in Pangani on adverse effects of climate change.

Members of disaster and climate change committees in districts and villages were trained in environmental management. Projects on the adaptation of climate change were set up at Sange and Mwembeni villages.

“Mwembeni villagers have planted drought-resistant banana species and their fellows at Sange are growing a sesame variety that is resistant to drought and pests,” Mr Rashidi said. According to him, the district is planning to carry out similar projects in other villages, which are also threatened by climate change. TCMP is also supporting the district to classify areas for aquaculture and 14 villages have been earmarked for the project. The villages are Buyuni Kuu, Buyuni Kitopeni, Sange, Kipumbwi, Mikinguni, Mikocheni, Ushongo, Kiguru Simba, Bweni, Mkwaja, Msalaza, Mwembeni, Stahabu and Kikokwe.

Savings and credit cooperative societies (Saccos) have been established at Kwakibuyu-Sakura, Mwembeni, Sange, Mkalamo and Saadani villages. “The Saccos usually enter into agreements with TCMP Pwani for members to engage themselves in environment- friendly activities such as beekeeping, sustainable farming, sustainable animal husbandry,” he said. However, Saccos members are prohibited from engaging in environmentally destructive activities such as charcoal making, farm preparation by setting fire, dynamite fishing or other illegal fishing and unsustainable methods that destroy the environment.

TCMP Pwani, under its Balanced project, is conducting a population, health and environment campaign in Pangani District to enlighten the community on dangers of diseases such as HIV and for parents to realise the importance of family planning.

“A rapid population increase exerts pressure on the dependence on coastal resources, causing environmental degradation. This project emphases the prevention of diseases,” said Mr Rashidi.

Under the project, the application of energy-serving stoves is stressed to minimise the use of firewood to protect the health of householders and conserve the environment. TCMP Pwani and Sea Sense are also carrying out a project on turtle and dugong conservation. The project started at Ushongo Village in Mafia in response to massive sea turtle killings and nest destruction. Levels of nest destruction fell from 80 per cent to less than 2 per cent.

TCMP Pwani managing director Baraka Kalangahe said the aim was to enable villagers own the project and operate it sustainably.