Vulnerability, Resilience, Rights and Responsibilities

Project title: Vulnerability, Resilience, Rights and Responsibilities: Capacity Building on Climate Change in Relation to Coastal Resources, Gender and Governance in Coastal Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Background

The potential negative impacts associated with climate change raises a number of concerns on development of reliable coping mechanisms for coastal communities in Tanzania and Zanzibar. Development of climate adaptation solutions needs well qualified experts and good research capacity linked to policy making and governance.

However, in Tanzania and Zanzibar there is a research and education gap on climate change, environment and natural resources management. As such, there is an urgent need to develop research and higher education capacity and infrastructure to tackle challenges related to climate change and natural resources management.

Research-based policies on climate change, natural resource management and gender among coastal communities

The project aims to strengthen capacity at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in Tanzania and the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) on climate change in relation to vulnerability and resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities. The focus is on coastal resource governance, community access, control, and rights to coastal resources, participation in decision-making, and gender roles in coastal Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Activities include the development of Master and PhD programmes on climate change and development in order to streamline climate change issues at the two universities. Academic staff trained at the UDSM and SUZA will contribute to mainstreaming climate and natural resource issues at the universities across departments, priority areas both for the universities in terms of research and teaching, and the country in terms of its development priorities.

Research activities will generate information and dissemination of research results as well as institutional collaboration and partnerships. Further, this will mainstream climate change issues in governmental sectoral plans and programmes, and promote integration of recommendable adaptation strategies and legal framework for coastal resource governance and management, which eventually will strengthen governance and sustainability of coastal ecosystems.

Key goals and achievements

Overall goal

To promote community and ecosystem resilience to climate change and strengthen livelihoods in the coastal areas of mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

The objectives of the project are

• Promoting adaptation to climate change and resilient livelihoods among coastal communities in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar through capacity development in higher education and research
• Strengthening institutional capacity for education and research within the field of climate change at UDSM and SUZA
• Improving teaching and research quality through strengthened international institutional collaboration and partnerships
• Strengthening resilience and community livelihoods of people along the coast
• Strengthening capacities for mainstreaming climate change agenda among collaborating higher education institutions