Natural resource and waste management in Tanzania

Environmental obstacles, such as the mismanagement of natural resources and industrial waste, have been contributing factors and results of the relatively low economic status of the country.

[5] Research has shown that many parts of the world affected by land degradation and human interference are experiencing much higher rates of infectious disease.

[6] As land degradation increases across the globe, the status of human health is affected by the changing ecological systems that play host to various pathogens.

[6] By incorporating sustainable living practices into daily life, many forerunners of biological disease can be avoided, thus preventing instances of epidemics or premature death.

[6] These include the contraction of tetanus from spores found in soil and water-related diseases caused by agricultural runoff contaminants.

[7] The unregulated use of mercury in the mines has led to high quantities of the element being released into the atmosphere, exposing the miners to harmful toxins.

Approximately 60% of the total generated mercury is released in a gaseous form and exposes the miners via inhalation or absorption through the skin.

[7] Fishermen, their families, and residents of Mwanza City were also test subjects to exhibit the far-reaching effects of the remaining 40% of the mercury released from the mines.

[8] The bodies of water accompanying the farms and plantations tested positive for both DDT and HCH (two common insecticides) [8] .They provide a feasible method to increase crop yield which is important for economic success regardless of environmental impact.

While the agricultural areas did not show intense pollution, the former pesticide storage site contained residue levels that were considerably greater.

[9][8] Crops that are high in lead and nickel are seen as unfit for human consumption which could pose a potential health risk in Tanzanian people.

[12] Over the past 30 years, urban areas such as Dar es Salaam have grown both in terms of population and physical size.

[13] In Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, residents generate approximately 0.31 kg of waste per capita.

[14] While Tanzania has made efforts to further develop its urban centers by allowing private hospitals, there has been a lack of infrastructure generated to accommodate the growing amounts of bio-hazardous waste.

Tanzania is undergoing changes in making a comprehensive, functioning waste disposal system a pre-requisite for the development of new hospitals.

An organization called the Taka Gas Project has been researching methods for converting solid waste into biogas to be used for generating electrical energy.