ZACCA Executive Director Mahfoudh Haji noted that the three-day forum will bring together government officials, private sector players, civil society organisations and environmental activists to discuss challenges and develop joint strategies to address them.
By Habitat Media Reporter
Unguja. Environmental experts from Tanzania and abroad are expected to meet in Zanzibar to discuss climate change, the blue economy and strategies for addressing environmental challenges.
The three-day forum, organised by the Zanzibar Climate Change Alliance (ZACCA), will run from October 24 to 26, 2026.
Speaking ahead of the event on October 23, ZACCA Executive Director Mahfoudh Haji said the forum would bring together government officials, private sector representatives, civil society organisations and environmental activists to discuss challenges facing the sector and develop joint responses.
“The meeting aims to strengthen cooperation in implementing environmental conservation strategies and promote opportunities arising from efforts to address climate change,” he said.
Participants from Tanzania and other countries, including Germany, Ethiopia and Kenya, will discuss strategic issues related to the environment, the blue economy and sustainable development.
Haji said the programme would include exhibitions showcasing the work of environmental organisations and 12 discussion sessions involving experts from government ministries and other local and international stakeholders.
Key topics will include sustainable development of the blue economy, turning waste into economic opportunities and expanding the use of clean energy.
Haji said the blue economy was particularly important to Zanzibar because of the economic opportunities offered by its marine resources. He stressed the need to develop these activities without undermining the environment.
On waste management, he said discussions would explore ways of converting waste into valuable products, including fertiliser, to reduce pollution while creating jobs and income-generating opportunities.
The forum will have three main components: exhibitions by environmental stakeholders, expert discussions and awards recognising environmental champions in Zanzibar.
The event will conclude on October 26 with an awards ceremony recognising stakeholders’ contributions to environmental conservation and encouraging communities to take action against climate change.
Meanwhile, Urban West Municipal Mayor Mohammed Ibrahim Hassanali, popularly known as Razalee, commended ZACCA and other stakeholders for supporting government efforts to improve urban cleanliness and address waste management challenges.
He said the forum would provide an opportunity for government institutions, including municipal authorities, to learn from one another and exchange experiences on effective waste management and ways of turning waste into an economic resource.
Razalee said innovative approaches to producing fertiliser and other products from waste could expand productive activities and help residents increase their incomes.
He added that the Urban West Municipality had plans to strengthen environmental cleanliness alongside investments by the central government.
Among the measures, he said, were collaboration with special forces under the Zanzibar Government and efforts to identify an investor with the capacity to clean, collect and process waste to reduce the problem of rubbish in the municipality.