Tanzania targets clean cooking shift as experts outline benefits and call for action

Dar es Salaam. The government’s ambition for 80 percent of Tanzanians to adopt clean cooking energy by 2034 has drawn renewed attention from experts, who say the transition is essential for public health, environmental conservation, and economic productivity.

Speaking during a Mwananchi X Space discussion on August 11, 2025, stakeholders urged stronger policies, targeted investments, and coordinated public education to accelerate progress, warning that fewer than 10 percent of Tanzanians currently use clean cooking energy, with the majority still relying on polluting fuels.

The Mwananchi X Space event, organised by Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) under the theme What should be done for Tanzanians to adopt clean cooking energy to protect the environment and their health?, brought together researchers, climate experts, journalists, and civil society leaders.

Researcher and Executive Director of Governance Links, Donald Kasongi, said Tanzania must build “robust strategies and strong systems” if it is to achieve its clean cooking energy target.

He stressed the need for a complete value chain, beginning with community education to deepen public understanding of clean energy’s benefits.

“When people hear about gas, they think it’s only a business. Yet there are other clean energy sources to use. We must consider the lives of our people, look at the 2034 target, and set clear milestones to get there,” he said.

Mr Kasongi called for inclusive participation, cost considerations, and collaboration between energy stakeholders, the media, financial institutions, businesses, and NGOs.

He said lifestyle changes must be part of the solution, alongside affordable technology and sustainable supply chains.

MCL’s Insight Lead and Environmental Journalist, Halili Letea, cited the National Environment Conservation and Management Master Plan 2022–2032, which warns that 439,000 acres of forest are cut annually for energy purposes.

“This causes ecological destruction and deprives future generations of these resources. The plan also shows that the highest rates of deforestation are in the western zone, particularly Tabora, Shinyanga and Singida Region,” he said.

He added that the plan supports the 2015 National Environment Policy, which calls for a shift from firewood and charcoal to clean fuels and improved stoves.

According to Mr Letea, the environmental crisis is matched by a public health emergency: “Around 33,000 people die annually from respiratory diseases linked to polluting fuels, and women are the most affected group since they are primarily responsible for cooking and fuel collection.”

He said the time spent gathering fuel robs women of economic opportunities, worsens health risks, and disrupts family life.

“Socially, families and relationships are disrupted because women leave home early to search for fuel, often staying away for long hours,” he explained.

The director of the Foundation for Disability, Michael Salari, argued that education must reach rural and underserved communities through schools, local gatherings, and radio broadcasts, especially for those who cannot read or write. “This is key, as according to the 2021 National Panel Survey (NPS), 24 percent of Tanzanians are illiterate,” he said.

Programme Manager at Nature and Climate Danmission East Africa, Dickson Shekivuli, described energy as “life itself,” integral to all aspects of development, from cooking meals to heating asphalt for road construction.

He said the energy transition must be supported by innovation and locally appropriate solutions.

Mr Shekivuli commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration for its political will on the issue but stressed that technical experts must be given space to develop solutions suited to Tanzanian realities.

“In Indonesia, they have developed energy from waste. Looking at major cities like Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, we generate a large amount of waste that can be used as an energy source while helping communities protect the environment,” he said.

He also underscored the job creation potential along the clean energy value chain, particularly for youth and women, and urged the Government to review taxes on gas and electricity to make clean energy more affordable.

From an academic perspective, Professor Amos Majule of the College of Climate Change and Environment at the University of Dar es Salaam acknowledged progress but called for greater investment and practical application of research findings.

“There are studies, both ongoing and completed, on these matters. These should be acted upon to continue protecting the environment and reducing climate change impacts,” he said.

Professor Majule suggested incorporating clean cooking education into school curricula, allowing children to learn early and pass knowledge to their families.

The discussion also highlighted the intersection between environmental destruction and the wellbeing of people with disabilities, particularly those with albinism.

Mr Salari of the Foundation for Disability noted that global studies show about 90 percent of people with albinism die from skin cancer.

He explained that indiscriminate tree cutting for fuel not only worsens environmental degradation but removes shaded areas critical for their protection.

“This group faces serious challenges when environmental destruction occurs. In Tanzania, around 80 percent of deaths among people with albinism are linked to environmental damage and the use of polluting fuels,” he said.

Mr Salari said deforestation exposes people with albinism to prolonged direct sunlight—the leading cause of skin cancer for those lacking natural skin protection.

He urged the Government to prioritise rural distribution of clean energy, noting that many cancer patients from such areas arrive at hospitals with advanced illness, often aggravated by environmental factors.

Stakeholders agreed that achieving the 80 percent clean cooking energy target by 2034 will require a coordinated approach that combines environmental conservation, public health protection, gender equality, and economic opportunity.

They said large-scale public education campaigns are needed in both urban and rural areas, along with tax reforms and subsidies to make clean energy technologies affordable.

They also called for clean cooking education to be part of school curricula, local innovation to be supported, and waste-to-energy projects to be explored as part of the transition.

For Mr Kasongi, the path forward hinges on collaboration.

“We must bring together all stakeholders, energy providers, government, media, NGOs, financial institutions, and communities, and set clear milestones to meet the 2034 target,” he said.

Mr Letea framed the challenge as one that will define the future.

“If we do not act now, we will lose both our forests and the health of our people. The cost will be far greater than the investment needed today,” he said.