Tanzania: Negative impact of climate change worries residents on Pemba Islands

While six thousand people fear they may in the near future be forced to leave their beloved homes due to rising sea level and related problems such as the destruction of historical graves and salinization of wells and farms, Mr Sihaba Haji Vuai, acting director of environment in the First vice president’s office, awaits for effective mitigation and adaptation methods to be applied. "Proper mitigation and adaptation method will help minimize the problem," he said to the Daily News, as speakers at the 1st ever international gathering on climate change in Zanzibar gave different presentations.

"Climate change is a reality and adaptation a necessity, not a choice, and this applies nowhere more so than amongst small island states and coastal areas," said Sheona Shackeleton from Rhodes University, South Africa. Other participants suggested the development of alert warning system, a re-designed framework of climate change governance to fight rising of sea level, failing monsoons, food insecurity, recurring droughts, depleted fisheries, and the increased coastal erosion and coastal flooding and to reduce the threat to tourism industry.