Environmental Sustainability Towards Transforming Tanzania to a Middle
Environmental Sustainability Towards Transforming Tanzania to a Middle Income Economy by 2025: The Challenges of Industrialization Eng. Prof. Rubhera RAM Mato School of Environmental Science and Technology Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam.
Outline of Presentation • • • Introduction Industrialization in Tanzania Contaminant releases from industries activities Environmental aspects of industrialization Environmental compliance in the industry sector in Tanzania • Challenges for attaining environmental sustainability and suggested mitigation measures • Conclusion
Introduction • The industry sector plays important role in transforming Tanzania to a middle income economy goals by 20125 • Industrialization is accompanied with major infrastructure development like water, energy (power), transport, housing etc • The challenge is to realize industrial development without straining the environment • Worldwide industrialization is accompanied by environmental degradation and some of the global environmental problems are linked to it • Despite of having environmental legislation in place more deliberate interventions are required to ensure environmental sustainability in Tanzania
Contaminants releases from industries activities • Different contaminants are associated with industrial activities – which are released to the environment as liquid, gas or solid. • Of major concern are the toxic substances, which do penetrate the food chain or affect the quality of the environment we live in • Some of the toxic contaminants include heavy metals, pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons etc • Depending on the abatement mechanisms for waste releases, some of the toxic substances may pass through
Environmental aspects of industrialization Industrial expansion implies increase in– • numbers, • Production (volume), types, processes • geographical coverage – landuse conflicts • natural resources use, • chemical use/importation, • Demand for basic services –water, power etc • Employment and social interactions etc
Cont. . • Industrial air pollution – GDG and climate change • Soil and Water contamination • Generation of toxic industrial residues that are indiscriminately disposed of – solid waste • Health problems and risks of industrial production cancers – • Industrial stormwater management
Cont. . • Land-use conflicts and resettlement • Land degradation – mining (leave derelict land), decommissioning of industrial premises • Seed pollution from GMO technology • Induced development around industrial centres – emergency of small towns/villages • Chemical storage and transportation – affect groundwater and surface water, soil, safety etc
Environmental compliance in the industry sector in Tanzania • Existing legislative regime – National Environmental Policy (1997) – Sustainable Industrial Production Policy (2006) – Environmental Management Act (EMA) Cap. 191 of 2004 – Strategic Environmental Assessment Regulations (2008) – EIA and Audit Regulations (2005)
Cont. . • Environmental compliance – undertaking legal responsibility to protect the environment as provided by the law • Research conducted in Mikocheni Light Industrial area – involved 12 industries – No 100% compliance, at least 58% good progress to compliance – 25% of industries showed high effort to compliance. These are large industries with commitment to international standards – 42% had very low level effort to compliance -mainly medium industries – 67% of the industries had EIA/Audit certificates
Stakeholder comments • Old technology that entails production of huge amounts of effluents/emissions that are difficult to treat/dispose of sometimes • High capital investment needed to achieve compliance • Environmental Standards are not flexible for industries – do not allow step by step improvement • Lack of qualified staff to design, construct and operate waste management systems • Reluctance to invest in waste management
Challenges and Mitigation Measures • Commitment towards environmental protection - education and exposition to best practices • Cleaning the past mess - NEMC to devise special assistance • Enforcement –progressive compliance can be very useful. Monitoring to check compliance is essential
Cont. . • Do. E/NEMC establish Environmental baseline conditions –for tracking long-term impacts • Clean industrial production- industries to be urged or supported towards adopting cleaner production • Environmental Impact Assessment – On the ground implementation of EIA recommendations
Cont. . • Strategic Environmental Assessment – conduct SEA for the envisaged industrialization programme • Environmental Monitoring - is a ground proofing for adequacy of mitigation measures • Emerging contaminants of concern (ECCs) – slowly building up in the environment, of which industry sector is among the main sources.
Cont… • Reducing CO 2 emissions – national programme is required • Contamination of water sources competence for devising means of pollution abatement is essential
Conclusion • Industrialization in Tanzania will be accompanied by a range of environmental ramifications, which may choke the path towards middle income economy by 2015 • Many of the associated environmental impacts can be abated by best engineering practices • Creating more awareness to industrial operators can increase enforcement to environmental management requirements. • Regulators should ensure EIA is carried out and envisaged environmental monitoring so as to track environmental performances of industries.
Thanks for your Attention
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