UNLOCKING ECONOMIC GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT POTENTIALS IN THE NILE BASIN: THE CASE OF TANZANIA 08.04.2019

BY NGOWI, HONEST PROSPER, MZUMBE UNIVERSITY, DAR BUSINESS SCHOOL,TANZANIA. 1 08.04.2019

ABSTRACT:PAPER FOCUS: WHAT HAS TANZANIA DONE TO UTILIZE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED BY THE NILE BASIN

3 INTRODUCTION NILE BASIN COUNTRIES AS SLEEPING GIANTS MANY OPPORTUNITIES (HUMAN, PHYSICAL & FINANCIAL RESOURCES) EXIST THE RESOURCES NOT OPTIMALLY EXPOLITED RESULT: HIGH POVERTY LEVELS AMIDST THE PLENTY OF RESOURCES 3

METHODOLOGY LITERATURE REVIEW, ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS OBSERVATION

TANZANIA AS A NILE BASIN COUNTRY A SMALL, REMOTE PART OF TZ IS WITHIN THE BASIN VERY IMPORTANT FOR DOWNSTREAM STATES: 49% OF LAKE VICTORIA, 61% OF LONG TERM AVERAGE RIVER DISCHARGE INTO LAKE VICTORIA’S CATCHMENT AREA COMES FROM TANZANIA NOT OVERLY DEPENDENT ON ITS NILE BASIN WATER RESOURCES – HAS MANY OTHER WATER RESOURCES COMPARED TO DOWNSTREAM STATES

TANZANIA UTILIZATION OF THE NILE POTENTIALS TURNING POINT AFTER THE 1961 INDEPENDENCE: NYERERE DOCTRINE OF SUCCESSION OF STATES: INDEPENDENT STATES NOT BOUND BY TREATIES MADE BY THEIR FORMER COLONIAL MASTERS – INCLUDING THE 1929 NILE AGREEMENT 4

TZ UTILIZATION OF NILE POTENTIALS CONTINUES PARTICIPATION IN RECENT NILE NEGOTIATIONS THROUGH NILE BASIN COMMISSION AGREEMENT ON THE USE, DEVELOPMENT, PROTECTION, CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE BASIN AND ITS RESOURCES BETTER THAN THE 1929 TREATY FOR UPSTREAM REPARIAN STATES

TZ UTILIZATION OF NILE POTENTIALS CONTINUES MAJOR PROJECTS USING NILE WATERS IN TANZANIA KAHAMA WATER PROJECT: PUMPING WATER FROM LAKE VICTORIA TO KAHAMA FOR DOMESTIC USE USE IN THE MINING (GOLD & DIAMOND) INDUSTRY IN MWANZA AND SHINYANGA: KAHAMA MINING CORPORATION, GEITA GOLD MINE, ASHANTI, WILLIAMSON DIAMOND INDUSTRIES, PLANTATIONS ALONG THE LAKE 5

TANZANIA INVOLVEMENT IN THE NILE COOPERATIVE EFFORTS HYDROMET (HYDRO-METEOROLOGICAL SURVEY) ESTABLESHED IN 1967 TO STUDY, ANALYZE AND DISSEMINATE MET DATA ON EQUATORIAL LAKES AND RIVERS TO MEMBERS ACCOMPLISHED: COMPREHENSIVE STUDIES OF KAGERA, NYANDO & KAFU BASINS – DEVELOPMENT POTENTIALS IDENTIFIED: IRRIGATION, HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER, EG. RUSUMO & KYANSORO FALLS 6

TZ INVOLVEMENT IN NILE COOPERATIVE EFFORTS CONTINUES UNDUGU IDEA FROM 1973 BY MOBUTU, FIRST MEETING IN 1983 TANZANIA HAD AN OBSERVER STATUS – LOST OPPORTUNITY (?) OBJECTIVES: COOPERATION ON ENVIRONMENT, TELECOM, ELECTRIC POWER, TRADE & WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ISSUES FOLDED IN 1993, LITTLE SUCCESS

TZ INVOLVEMENT IN NILE COOPERATIVE EFFORTS CONTINUES TECCONILE (Technical Cooperation Committee for Promotion of the Dvt and Env Protection of the Nile Basin) FORMED IN 1992 TO FILL THE VOID LEFT BY HYDROMET, TZ AMONG FOUNDERS AIMS: ASSIST DEVELOP NATIONAL MASTER PLANS AND INTEGRATE THEM INTO ACTION PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE BASIN, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVPT, WATER RESOURCES USE CAPACITY BUILDING

INVOLVEMENT IN NILE COOPERATIVE EFFORTS CONTINUES KAGERA BASIN ORGANIZATION (KBO, 1977): AIM: TO COORDINATE ORDERLY REGIONAL PLANING IN THE BASIN: 14 PRIORITY PROJECTS IDENTIFIED – TRANSPORT, COMMUNICATION, ENERGY, AGRIC, INFORMATION & TRAINING NONE OF THE PROJECTS WERE IMPLEMENTED DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS, POLITICAL & ETHNIC PROBLEMS, STUDIES/PLANS BY KBO (OVER 30) STILL OF MUCH VALUE TODAY

TZ INVOLVEMENT IN NILE COOPERATIVE EFFORTS CONTINUES NILE BASIN INITIATIVE (NBI) THE ONLY NILE BASIN-WIDE INITIATIVE OF ITS KIND. INCLUDES: SHARED VISION PROGRAM: GRANT-BASED ACTIVITIES FOR ENABLING INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT SUBSIDIARY ACTION PROGRAM (CONCRETE ACTIVITIES FOR LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT, ECO GROWTH & INTEGRATION) NBI PRESENTS MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO UNLOCK GROWTH POTENTIALS IN THE BASIN

CONCLUSION TANZANIA HAS UTILIZED SEVERAL NILE BASIN OPPORTUNITIES AS MANY OTHER NILE REPARIAN STATES, IT IS STILL AMONG POOREST COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD

POLICY IMPLICATIONS NEED TO ENSURE MORE OPTIMAL AND BASIN-WIDE COOPERATIVE UTILIZATION OF EXISTING OPPORTUNITIES NEED TO SUSTAIN THE CURRENT BASIN-WIDE COOPERATIVE EFFORTS (MOST OF THE FORMER COOPERATIVE EFFORTS WERE RELATIVELY SHORT-LIVED)

AREAS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH INVESTIGATION OF WHY MOST FORMER COOPERATIVE EFFORTS WERE SHORT-LIVED INVESTIGATIONS ON HOW TO SUSTAIN CURRENT BASIN WIDEN COOPERATION INVESTIGATION ON HOW TO OPTIMIZE UTILIZATION OF THE MANY NILE BASIN RESOURCES FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION

THE END, ASANTE