This donation is part of the three-year Transformation of the Tanzania Fuel Wood Value Chain Project (2023–2026), which has a budget exceeding €200,000 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026
Dar es Salaam. The ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources has received 74 facilities valued at over Sh1 billion to enhance forest conservation efforts and combat unregulated trade in forest products.
The handover ceremony, held in Dar es Salaam at the end of the week, featured Dr Hassan Abbas, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, announcing that the equipment—including vehicles, motorcycles, drones, and communication devices—was allocated to the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) to strengthen its operations.
This donation is part of the three-year Transformation of the Tanzania Fuel Wood Value Chain Project (2023–2026), which has a budget exceeding €200,000 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.
The aim of the project is to transition the country from a fuelwood-dependent energy system to cleaner, sustainable energy alternatives in response to the ongoing climate crisis.
“The project targets a positive transformation in the fuelwood value chain by promoting clean energy solutions, ultimately supporting forest conservation,” Dr Abbas said.
He added that the new resources would enhance TFS’s capacity for monitoring, evaluation, and enforcement of forest conservation laws, aligning with national strategies coordinated by district councils.
The provided equipment includes tourist vans, motorcycles, drones, surveillance boats, POS machines, and radio communication systems, which will be installed across TFS zonal offices. These tools will assist in monitoring forest harvesting activities and facilitate revenue collection.
The initiative is funded by the European Union and implemented in partnership with the Government of Tanzania, WWF Tanzania, the Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative, and the Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team (LEAT).
Dr Amani Ngusaru, director of WWF Tanzania, mentioned that the project also includes training for forest conservators at the district and village levels, focusing on procurement procedures, data collection, and permit issuance.
“The radio communication systems will cover key forest harvesting zones, including Western, Eastern, Northern, and Lake regions. Meanwhile, the broader project will operate in Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Tanga, Pwani, Mwanza, and Tabora—regions that contribute the most to fuelwood production and consumption,” Dr Ngusaru explained.
TFS Conservation Commissioner Prof Dos Santos Silayo commended the EU for its support of the project and reiterated the government’s commitment to sustainable forestry.
“We intend to fully utilize these facilities to ensure responsible and regulated practices throughout the forest products value chain,” he said.
