Principle Agriculture Officer Dr. Hassan Bashiru
***********************
AND EMMANUEL MBATILO
Tanzania is in a period of sustained growth with a high level of public and private investment being channeled into infrastructure, agriculture, urbanization, energy and general development; a period of great promise and opportunity for the citizen. The growing demand for raw materials, renewable energy, food, water, knowledge and technological skill base in an opportunity to shape a future where development and conservation happen side by side.
IUCN is supporting the government of Tanzania in archiving her development and conservation Strategies, Plans as well relevant Mult-lateral Environmental Agreements. One of the key strategies adopted by IUCN is provision of technical assistance for sustainable investment actions to be achieved through Sustainable development of Economic Growth Corridors especially in the SAGCOT corridor. The delivery vehicle for this is the SUSTAIN Africa Programme.
Through its first 4 years, SUSTAIN has generated result on the ground in the Kilombero and Sumbawanga cluster in the SAGCOT corridor of Tanzania. SUSTAIN also has in place now close working relationships with the corridor agency- SACGOT Center Ltd and has developed partnerships and relationships with key Ministries and government agencies- including the Ministry of Water, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and National Land Use Planning Commission.
There is an opportunity now to make concerted steps to utilize the results achieved to date and example of successful landscape partnerships for inclusive Green Growth (IGG) to promote stronger ownership by government of SUSTAIN as a mechanism to support national policy implementation.
The above withstanding, IUCN is organizing a National Policy Workshop bringing together officials from relevant Ministries and government agencies as well as other relevant stakeholders for dialogue on how results and partnerships from SUSTAIN can be used to align programmes and support implementation of policies across sectors. The workshop will also be used to identify areas of highest priority for coordinated implementation of policy relating to inclusion, green growth, climate resilience, food and water security and investment.
