Tanzania is the largest country in east Africa with a coastline along the Indian Ocean. Tanzania is predominantly a highland area sitting 900-1800m above sea level with mountains ranges throughout, except by the coast where it is flatter. Tanzania’s climate is largely driven by altitude, with tropical lowlands in the east to colder highlands in the north and southwest. It is vulnerable to the effects of climate change in public health, energy supply, infrastructure, water resources, and agriculture (World Bank Group, n.d.). Climate change is expected to exacerbate the risks from extreme weather events such as variation in rainfall and frequent and prolonged droughts and floods (ibid.). 

Air temperature in Tanzania is expected to rise across all emission scenarios, with the annual number of very hot days projected to rise substantially with high certainty (GIZ, 2021). Sea level rise threatens communities along the coast and may cause saline intrusion, threatening water supply and biodiversity (ibid.). Projections on precipitation vary with some models projecting a large decrease (>42mm by 2080 compared to 2000) whilst others suggest almost no change (ibid.). However, heavy precipitation events are expected to become more intense (ibid.). Water availability is predicted to decline by 76% under both RCP2.6 and RCP6.0, though this is region specific (ibid.). Changes in waterflows have impacted the country’s capacity to generate and supply electricity, particularly hydropower, which has been directly attributed to climate change driven droughts (United Republic of Tanzania, 2007). 

In its first NDC (2021) Tanzania outlines its adaptation measures in various sectors such as forestry (e.g. enhancing participatory sustainable forest management), coastal, marine environments and fisheries (e.g., promoting livelihood diversification for coastal communities), and energy (e.g., promoting climate-smart rural electrification).