NEMC and VPO Environment Capacity Building Program (2019 - 2025)

The Vice President Office (VPO), in collaboration with the National Environment Management Council (NEMC), is implementing a three (3) years project on "Enhancing National Capacity for Implementation of the Environmental Management Act" with a total cost of 6.9 billion Tanzania Shillings (3 million USD) funds from Sweden Government. The objective of the project is to enhance the national capacity for implementing the Environmental Management Act Cap 191 for sustainable environmental management in Tanzania. Summary of the Results Achieved: during the report period July 2023 to June 2024 The project is implementation in terms of six components, the highlights on the implementation status for the individual Project Components is provided hereunder. It should be noted that the project activities implemented as per approved annual work plan and budget for the financial year 2023/24. COMPONENT I:To enhance institutional and legal framework for effective environmental management Five (5) draft Regulation developed: The Environmental Management (Control and Management of Persistent Organic Pollutants) Regulations, 2023 The Environmental Management (Solid Waste Management) Regulations, 2024 The Environmental Management (Registration of Environmental Experts), Regulations, 2024 The Environmental Management (Management of Environmental Protected Areas) Regulations, 2024 and The Environmental Management (Prohibition of Use of Firewood and Charcoal) Regulations, 2024. In this activity/component the following addition and adjustment have been implemented: One (1) Guideline developed which is the Environmental Management (Control and Management of Carbon Trading) Guidelines, 2024 and Amendment of the Environmental Management Act, Cap 191. This aims to address emerging critical needs to environmental governance. However, these adjustments will be formally integrated into the work plan through official amendments to ensure proper alignment with project goals and reporting requirements. In this regard, the Guidelines to be developed will be determined by the Amended Act. COMPONENT II: To modernize environmental licensing and monitoring capacity. The establishment of online monitoring and evaluation system for environmental management is accomplished by 25% in which the following activities have been implemented: - Technical meeting to gather requirements and system design for identifying User requirements and Technical meeting for system programming and coding for developing the System. - The remaining activities will be accomplished by the end of December, 2024 which are technical meeting to review system prototype and finalize system design, user training on the online SEA permitting systems and launching of the system. COMPONENT III: To strengthen strategic capacity of the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) on environmental monitoring and enforcement. During the reporting period it was planned to make Procurement of mobile environmental laboratory to provide onsite testing capability, and the Procurement of Field Testing Kits for seven (7) NEMC zonal Offices to facilitate rapid site characterization is on progress. The procurement process is currently in progress, with a tenderer already selected. The procurement will be made directly from a manufacturer. However, the process has been delayed due to a change in the government procurement system from TANEPS to NesT. As a result, while the initial stages were completed in TANEPS, the shift to NesT required restarting the process from the very beginning. COMONENT IV: To enhance the capacity of MDAs and LGAs for effective implementation of EMA. The final draft of National Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan (NWMSAP)[1] Is at the final stage of approval. The Validation Workshop for the final draft took place on 21 October 2024. 60 staffs from MDAs, LGAs, Police Environment Unit, Judicial officers, Public Prosecutors and Environmental Inspectors were Trained on environmental management tools in Dodoma in June, 2024. The number of trainees decreased from 100 to 60 due to insufficient funding allocated based on the actual costs incurred during implementation. Training to MDAs and LGAs on mountain ecosystem assessment was conducted in Arusha in August, 2024 and in Mbeya in June, 2024. A Draft of a pilot management plan of Kawetere Mountain in Mbeya Region is in place and is at the final stage for approval. COMPONENT V:To facilitate effective public communication and strategic engagement of key stakeholders A Concept Note and Guidelines for Operationalization of the National Conference of Stakeholders on Environment and Climate Change (CoSEC) is on place. This Guideline to be used in organizing National Environmental Forums that were prior conducted by the VPO (Environmental World Day and Conference of Stakeholder on Environment and Climate Change) without any National Guidance Framework. The Allocated Budget was very minimal to establish the Forum. Therefore, the activity was revised and become to develop a Concept Note and Guidelines for Operationalization of the National Conference of Stakeholders on Environment and Climate Change. COMPONENT VI: To ensure effective project management. This component it involves Project Managament Unit (PMU), Project Technical Committee (PTC), and Project Steering Commiittee (PSC) Meetings, which were succeffully conducted . This component it include Annual financial audit for the financial year 2022/23 which was conducted in May, 2024. It also involve Project monitoring and Evaluation. Generally, the implementation progress during the reporting period was slow. The activities that were not on good progress were planned to be accomplished in the following year of the project (2022/2023).

The intended outcome of the proposed development intervention be improved state of the environment in Tanzania, through effective coordination and implementation of the key environmental laws and guidelines across government at the central and local levels. In connection to the National environmental policy, Tanzania established a national environmental management Act in year 2004, which is supposed to act as an environmental law. But the implementation of the environmental laws has been inadequate in several aspects. There is a will from the government of Tanzania to implement the environmental laws. NEMC and VPO will gain experties and experiance in environmental protection and experience of public environmental work, as well as working with implementation of environmental politics. Further more NEMC as inforncement arm of the goverment will gain expertise efficient and effective environmental governance, based on democracy, human rights and rule of law. And create better conditions for good environmental governance and strengthen the capacity of LGAs, private sector and other institutions. The purpose of the project is to enhance the national capacity for implementing the Environmental Management Act, by strengthen the capacity of National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) in Tanzania. So that NEMC can address difficulties and work on the implementation of the environmental laws in Tanzania. The main focusing areas within the capacity building will be to increase the environmental impact assessment and public environmental work. The result of this project will contribute to improved management of natural resources in Tanzania. With support of Swedish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), NEMC will assist in training environmental management act implementers, assist LGAs in the preparation of by-laws, improve awareness to the general public on their roles in implementing EMA and establish databases to improve access to environmental information in addition to simplify the application of licenses and permits. The SEPA participation also aims to build a long-term relationship with NEMC in Tanzania.