By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), Mr Selemani Jafo, has on Friday said that the agenda on urgent climate action is of importance to Tanzania as the country has been left vulnerable to rising water levels in oceans and lakes and also danger of drought due to decreasing rainfall season.
Jafo raised this alarm while speaking to The Citizen on Friday.
He said in recent years the country has experienced a rise in water levels in Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika, putting a risk for the operations near the water bodies such as hotels and fish markets.
“For example, in Lake Victoria, some hotels have closed operations due to rising water levels. Similarly for areas in Kigoma Region including Kibirizi, where water has risen to as high as two metres now,” said minister Jafo.
According to Jafo, there is also a danger that some of the islets in Tanzania-island will disappear due to rising sea levels.
Tanzania is among the countries that need effective climate action, with consequences of climate change becoming more than obvious.
More than 100 nations have converged on New York for the 76th UNGA, which are discussing, among other issues, global recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, now a serious global problem.