A UNITED Nations meeting on global efforts to fight the desert situation is important for Tanzania, top government officials affirm.

Abdallah Hassan Mitawi, the Union deputy permanent secretary in the Vice President’s Office (VPO) made this affirmation in Dodoma yesterday, at a meeting for the Tanzanian delegation for the 16th conference of the parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought, slated for the Saudi capital of Riyadh early next week.

The delegation is made up of senior officials from the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), sector ministries and other development stakeholders, which the top official said will be in a good position to fully engage on the issues relevant to the future of the country.  

Agnes Meena, the Water deputy permanent secretary and Njamasi Chiwanga, director of the Lead Foundation, an environment restoration organisation, attended the meeting, where deputy minister Khamis Hamza Khamis, called for greater efforts to stop  farming and cattle rearing further damaging the country’s environment.

The Riyadh meeting will coincide with the 30th anniversary of the desertification convention, where the top policy adviser lamented actions of some farmers to cut down trees and burn forests.

Often the reason is to prepare for the next farming season or herders seeking to feed livestock, as such arbitrary action contributes to drought and “eventually there is a threat of many areas becoming deserts.”

Farmers along with herdsmen ought to stop migrating as this fuels risks of desertification, when this involves cutting down trees to graze livestock, later leaving the areas destroyed.

Efforts are needed to ensure that this is stopped as it causes many areas to face drought and become semi-desert, he emphasized, affirming that breeding and modernised agriculture are sectors that promote the economy and the country.

Breeders and farmers conducting this activity are responsible for ensuring that they follow environmental guidelines and thus reduce the risk of desertification, he said

Herders need to stop grazing or watering their livestock in water sources as they cause damage to the environment, with water drying up and leading to drought, he further noted.

The government was keen on adopting land use plans and providing education to such groups to stop activities that cause environmental damage, he added.