Advancing Forest Conservation and Sustainable Development Across Tanzania

Posted on : Monday , 5th January 2026

In Tanzania, forests and vegetation cover approximately 39 per cent of the country’s total land area, equivalent to 35,257,000 hectares. This vast forest resource positions Tanzania among Africa’s most richly endowed countries in terms of natural woodland assets. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Tanzania’s forest estate remains a critical economic and environmental asset, whose long-term value runs into billions of dollars, contributing directly to national income, employment, and ecosystem resilience.
 

Wood resources continue to underpin Tanzania’s rural and urban economies, supporting household energy needs, small-scale enterprises, furniture production, and agricultural systems. Forests are the primary source of oxygen, regulate the climate, stabilize weather patterns, control carbon emissions, and maintain the water cycle. Proper forest stewardship ensures that wood resources remain renewable and productive, strengthening food security and climate resilience while enhancing rural incomes.
 

The Government of Tanzania, working closely with the United Nations and environmental partners such as REDD, has put in place strong policy and legal frameworks to sustain forest resources. The Environment Management Act, National Forest Policy (1998), and the Forest Act promote sustainable wood use and empower communities through Participatory Forest Management (PFM). These measures enable local communities to actively manage forests, protect biodiversity, and benefit economically from wood-based and forest-related activities.
 

Speaking during the commemoration of World Environment Day in Butiama, Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan emphasized the importance of collective responsibility in forest protection. She underscored the need to plant and nurture 1.5 million trees to maturity, noting that forest conservation is essential to achieving Tanzania’s Development Vision 2025 and industrialization agenda. Her remarks reinforced the central role of forests and wood resources in national development and environmental sustainability.
 

Private sector participation has further strengthened forest conservation and wood-based livelihoods. Songas, an independent power producer, has supported sustainable forest management through its Social and Economic Development (SED) initiatives in collaboration with the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG). 

Communities in Muyuyu, Chumbi, and Mohoro villages in Rufiji have successfully adopted forest-friendly activities such as beekeeping, while Songas’ contributions to the Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund (EAMCEF) have enhanced forest management skills across Kilimanjaro, Tanga, and Morogoro regions. According to the Songas Managing Director, these initiatives have significantly improved community livelihoods while ensuring forests are preserved for tourism, medicinal research, and long-term economic transformation.