Tanzanian authorities said on Wednesday they have started to assess islands and islets in the country’s great lakes and the Indian Ocean to see how they have been impacted by climate change.
Khamis Hamad Khamis, the Deputy Minister in the Vice-President’s Office responsible for Union Affairs and Environment, told parliament in the capital Dodoma that the assessment is aimed at establishing the impact caused by climate change on the islands and islets.
“The assessment will help the government take mitigation and adaptation measures,” he said.
Khamis said the assessment will be undertaken on islands and islets located in the Indian Ocean, including Tanzania’s Zanzibar and Mafia Island in Coast region and in great lakes, including Lake Victoria.
He said some of the islands and islets have been degraded by human activities, including illegal fishing, cutting down of mangroves and construction of permanent structures. Enditem
