Authorities in the Ruvuma Region have been urged to accelerate the promotion of clean and affordable alternative energy—including coal‑based technologies—and to support community‑driven waste management enterprises as part of efforts to reduce deforestation and curb pollution.
The call was made by the Youth Environmental Justice and Gender Equality (YOGE) during the Regional Policy Summit in Songea, held under its Voices for Water Project, which focuses on inclusive water governance in the Ruvuma Basin. YOGE also recommended a complete prohibition and tighter control of large livestock herds entering the region, warning that unchecked influx threatens national food security given Ruvuma’s critical role in agricultural production.
Advocate Philomena Mwalongo, YOGE Executive Director, presented an overview of the project, noting that it has been implemented in Ruvuma for the past eight months with support from the IUCN BRIDGE Programme. She explained that a baseline survey revealed limited awareness among women and youth regarding water resource conservation, which the project has sought to address through training, dialogues, and community engagement.
Stakeholder voices added urgency:
👉Fatuma Gawaza of Matogoro Ward urged support for women and youth to access capital for pumps and irrigation ponds, enabling farming outside the 60‑meter buffer zone.
👉Acting Administrative Secretary Louis Chomboko pledged government commitment to awareness creation and clean energy initiatives.
👉Bishop John Ndimbo of Mbinga Diocese called for environmental education to be integrated into school curricula to instill conservation values early.
Plenary discussions highlighted persistent challenges in water resource management, including weak enforcement of environmental laws, political interference, buffer zone violations, and deforestation.
The initiative forms part of the Inclusive Freshwater Governance for Sustainable Communities in the Ruvuma Basin – Voices for Water Project, supported by IUCN through its BRIDGE Programme. Key implementing partners include Tanzania Media for Community Development (TAMCODE), YOGE, the Ruvuma Southern and Coastal Water Basin Board, the Office of the Regional Commissioner of Ruvuma, Mbinga Town Council, and Songea Municipal Council.
The summit brought together district authorities, regional leaders, water agencies, religious institutions, forest reserve representatives, water users, and the press—demonstrating collective resolve to strengthen inclusive water governance and environmental conservation across the Ruvuma Basin.
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