Life in Dar

While we were taxi-ing back from the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) I came to the terrifying realization that the middle lane of traffic is used as a passing lane, a turn lane, and a driving lane for not one, but two ways of traffic. Not a pretty sight.

We've been pretty busy meeting with different NGO's and groups the last few days. I think two of the best have been today- the NEMC, and the Tanzania Association of Environmental Engineers (TAEE). I feel that by the end of this trip I'll be able to sum our experience in a list of acronyms. NEMC is the Tanzanian equivalent of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the states. It is under the Vice President's jurisdiction. It was quite amazing that we got to go meet them (imagine 4 college students in the states walking into the EPA office in DC and asking to speak to the director- laughable). We didn't speak to the HEAD honcho, but close enough. We met with Engineer James Ngeleja, who is the co-ordinator for energy and environmental issues in the council, as well as the director for the division of enforcement and compliance. As I got back from the meeting less than an hour ago, I'm filled with a fresh sense of disappointment in the government.

We've met with NGO's for the majority of the trip and each one has said there is a fairly large gap between the policies and legislature that the government passes, and the actually enforcement of these policies. They heavily rely on the NGO's for support (but do little to support them). So, I posed the question to Mr. Ngeleja, of how exactly the NEMC enforces the policies, in particular, the one major National Energy and Environmental Policy (drafted in '97, legislated as the Environmental Management Act in '04, in effect '05). The unbelievable and pitiful response he gave me was that his department created enforcement guidelines which dealt with investigation and compliance. Basically, squat. When was the last time environmental law was enforced around here? Basically, Tanzania environmental regulation is directed by NGOs.

When we asked him about alternative energy, renewable energy, and what not, he told us about the 2 year old program ProBEC (Program for Basic Energy and Conservation).
I realize that I am being too harsh and, perhaps, a wee bit hypocritical about the Tanzanian government, given that our government isn't exactly getting the gold star on environmental regulations and policy enforcement. It is still frustrating to talk to the people that are RUNNING the country; the people that are able to make the drastic changes and improvements needed to be able to sustain a population of people not surrounded by landfills, and living in poverty, and learn that they are doing nothing but writing meaningless policies to appease the goals set forth by the all-knowing UNFCC Kyoto Protocol that their country signed but has no way of showing deliverables. THAT was a run on sentence and a bit of a rant. Please accept my apologies... I am not a fan of politics. Good Luck Melea.

We split up this morning to cover two NGOs at once, and I'll let Melea or Miriam fill you in AGENDA. Adam and I went to TAEE and met with a young, inspired group of environmental engineers. Most of them have finished school in the last 5 years and are working on a variety of projects including consultancy (their main source of funding), waste management, and awareness and training. We read over their latest proposal for Industrial Effluent Management and Pollution Monitoring, which they are just finishing their editing on, and they will submit for a grant soon. They have also just start working on a Biogas project, but it is in its infancy. We actually didn't get a lot of good advice from them, but for one of the few times this trip, were able to help them answer some questions they had on the technology and design. Near the end of the meeting, they asked us our interests, what we wanted to do after graduating; maybe, perhaps, we wanted to come back to Tanzania? and work on their projects? I couldn't give them a positive answer then, but I told them I would love to help them stateside as much as possible. They were excited that I have access to so much research and knowledge at the University, and I will be glad to help them out with any of that back home.

Yesterday we met with Godfrey and tried to get his advice about the biogas, but unfortunately, he wasn't as helpful as we had hoped, although he did support the project. One of our biggest questions we have been trying to get answered in the last couple weeks is whether the cost of the biogas digester is worth the investment of the farmers, or does it make more sense in terms of THEIR best interests to just stick with the inexpensive, fuel-efficient, firewood stoves. All the Environmental NGOs have been fairly gungho (sp?) about biogas because it really is better for the environment that just the Fuel Efficent stoves. But our project is not, and can never be, just an environmental project, but also must be a project to improve the daily life and future prospects of the people with biogas stove. These digesters ARE expensive, and the steep price cannot be overlooked so quickly.

We're heading to Zanzibar tomorrow for a little break from the work before heading back to Moshi. Dar has been a little dirty and hectic for my taste, but I have to admit I have been suprised with the city. Everyone I have talked to said that people were a bit more hostile and less interested in Mzungus in general, but the majority of people I have encountered always love to help us with our Swahili, point us in the right direction, and offer their welcome whenever they see us. Also, I had one of the best cups of coffee in my life at an ethiopian restaurant here. SOOO TASTY.

Over and out,
Nat