By Habitat Media Reporter
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania expects to receive $41.06 million (Sh106.8 billion) under the ninth replenishment cycle of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-9), funding that could strengthen forest conservation, biodiversity protection, climate action and the restoration of degraded land.
The anticipated financing comes as the country seeks to address mounting environmental pressures while ensuring that conservation investments deliver tangible benefits to communities whose livelihoods depend on natural resources.
Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Vice-President’s Office responsible for Environment, Dr Maduhu Isaac Kazi, announced the expected allocation during the opening of national consultations on GEF-9 in Dar es Salaam on October 12, 2026.
Dr Kazi said Tanzania had received approximately $53.4 million (Sh138.8 billion) under the previous GEF-8 cycle, providing a foundation for further investment in environmental protection.
He said the new funding presented an opportunity to strengthen initiatives targeting deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution and land degradation.
“The financing is an opportunity to advance efforts to conserve forests and biodiversity, control pollution and restore degraded land,” Dr Kazi said.
He stressed that effective use of the anticipated resources would require closer cooperation between the government, private sector, civil society organisations and development partners to establish shared priorities and ensure environmental investments contribute to sustainable national development.
For Tanzania, the challenge will be to translate the expected allocation into projects that produce measurable environmental improvements rather than simply expand the number of funded initiatives.
This includes strengthening the protection of ecosystems, restoring degraded landscapes and supporting interventions that help communities adapt to climate change. Transparent project selection, effective implementation and monitoring will also be important in demonstrating how the financing delivers results.
Jonky Tenou, senior environmental specialist and Africa regional coordinator at the GEF Secretariat, said the consultations provided an opportunity to assess previous projects, identify gaps and establish investment priorities for the new funding cycle.
He said GEF-9 would focus on improving policy coordination, encouraging innovation and strengthening collaboration across key environmental areas, including biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, chemicals and waste, and international waters.
“Government, the private sector, civil society and development partners all have an important role to play in developing projects that deliver environmental, social and economic benefits,” Mr Tenou said.
He added that outcomes from recent discussions on climate finance in Tanzania could help refine environmental investment priorities and guide the preparation of proposals for GEF-9.
The consultations are expected to help stakeholders identify areas where funding could have the greatest impact while strengthening coordination between institutions working on related environmental challenges.
The Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) is among the institutions seeking to benefit from additional financing.
Speaking on behalf of TFS Conservation Commissioner Professor Dos Santos Silayo, Senior Assistant Conservation Commissioner Fandey H Mashimba said the agency was seeking more funding opportunities to strengthen forest and bee-resource conservation and promote tourism in its reserves.
The two-day national consultations, taking place at Johari Rotana Hotel in Dar es Salaam from October 12 to 13, 2026, are intended to review previous project outcomes, identify national priorities and develop proposals for potential GEF-9 support.
The process will be critical in determining whether Tanzania’s anticipated funding can address pressing environmental challenges while strengthening the resilience of communities and protecting the natural resources on which the country’s economy depends.