Poverty and Human Development Report 2009 - UNDP in Tanzania

pOVertY aND hUMaN DeVeLOpMeNt repOrt 2009
forecast container volumes indicate the need for construction of a new, much larger port, capable
of servicing domestic and regional needs over the long term. in conjunction with the planned
expansion of dar es salaam port, additional cargo movement through tanga and Mtwara ports
will help to reduce congestion. tanzania’s coastal ports hold huge potential and, under the right
conditions, can perform efficiently and competitively.
Environmental Impact Assessments
environmental impact assessments (eias) are both a planning and a decision-making tool to
facilitate the adoption of economically viable and environmentally sound development projects
while averting costly impacts on communities. the MKUKUta indicator – the proportion of
enterprises undertaking environmental impact assessments complying with regulations – is
intended to provide a national view of the extent of compliance with environmental standards. the
environmental Management act (eMa) (2004) also requires that this indicator be monitored.
no updated data are available from the national environment Management council (neMc)
for this indicator. however, experiences with eias in tanzania have shown that they do not
always influence decisions, because the option of stopping projects is hardly considered. Many
developers, including government entities, are yet to fully appreciate the value of eias, but
rather consider the assessments as obstacles to economic development. this is due to the fact
that projects are often considered to be of national, political and/or strategic importance, and
these perceived imperatives can override consideration of negative environmental impacts. it is
therefore critical to establish a reliable and transparent eia system that takes into account the
developmental context in tanzania.
furthermore, the single indicator in MKUKUta’s current monitoring system does not take into
account the larger impact of climate change on the environment. tanzania is expected to be
affected both by warmer temperatures which will impact cropping patterns, as well as higher sea
levels which may impact coastal communities, including the cities of dar es salaam and tanga.
Goal 3
Improving Food Availability and Accessibility at
Household Level in Urban and Rural Areas
the availability of food, both in required quantity and quality is a fundamental aspect of human
well-being, and a lack of food to achieve and sustain good health is a clear manifestation of
extreme poverty.
food security has three aspects: food availability, food accessibility and food utilisation. food
availability refers to the supply of food which should be sufficient in quantity, while food access
refers to the demand for food, which is influenced by economic factors, physical infrastructure
and consumer preferences. food availability, though elemental, does not guarantee food security.
for individuals and households to be food secure, food access must be adequate not only in
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