Tanzania 2019 Country Environmental Analysis : Environmental Trends and Threats, and Pathways to Improved Sustainability
Tanzania’s wealth per capita has declined because its rapid population growth has outpaced investment. This decline in wealth is almost entirely accounted for by its “renewable natural capital” loss, consisting of the country’s agricultural land, c...
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| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2019
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/356211556727592882/Tanzania-Country-Environmental-Analysis-Environmental-Trends-and-Threats-and-Pathways-to-Improved-Sustainability http://hdl.handle.net/10986/31643 |
| Summary: | Tanzania’s wealth per capita has
declined because its rapid population growth has outpaced
investment. This decline in wealth is almost entirely
accounted for by its “renewable natural capital” loss,
consisting of the country’s agricultural land, cropland,
forests, forest products, and protected areas. The country’s
human capital per capita is stable while its physical
capital per capita has risen by 13 percent. Yet its
degrading natural capital base clearly illustrates the
magnitude of its sustainability problem: the total renewable
natural capital per capita has fallen by 35 percent over the
past 20 years, whereas the non-land renewable natural
capital per capita has declined by 47 percent (that is,
almost halved in 20 years). Tanzania cannot afford another
10 years of the same negative trends in resource
degradation. The opportunity Tanzania faces is to reconcile
the use of natural resources to meet the demands of the
population and economy with the need to maintain functioning
ecosystems. Reaching this balance will catalyze sustained
growth. However, the current trend in the use of natural
resources is not sustainable, leading to persistent
degradation and loss of ecosystems, which constitute the
main cause of the natural capital. This CEA has identified
spatially and temporally differentiated approaches and
solutions toward ensuring sustainable resource management
for long-term use. |
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