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Tanzania: The Ocean Creeps In – Coastal Communities Fight a Losing Battle
What started with a ‘salty’ cup of tea ended with one couple losing their home to climate-change-induced rising sea levels. Solutions like sea walls and mangrove restoration struggle to keep pace with the destruction of once-thriving coastal communities.
The Saltwater Invasion Begins
The first time Jumanne Waziri tasted salt in his morning tea, he thought his wife had made a mistake. “Why did you put salt instead of sugar?” he asked in their Ununio home north of Dar es Salaam.
His wife Fatuma frowned. “I didn’t.” When she tasted her own cup, her face twisted in shock. That moment revealed the ocean’s silent invasion – not through crashing waves, but through poisoned groundwater seeping into their well.
A Disappearing Coastline
From Ununio to Kunduchi, from Mbezi Beach to Pangani, families share the same devastating story. Saltwater intrusion is transforming prized coastal neighborhoods into abandoned wastelands.
“When I bought this land 25 years ago, I thought I was building a future,” said 66-year-old Rozalia Mwasawe, pointing at her flooded yard. “Now, the sea is swallowing everything.”
Dar es Salaam’s natural coastal defenses are collapsing:
- Mangrove forests – nature’s first barrier – are disappearing rapidly
- Concrete sea walls crumble under relentless pressure
- The shoreline has receded by meters in recent years
The Science Behind the Crisis
Saltwater intrusion occurs when seawater contaminates freshwater reserves, poisoning drinking water and ruining agricultural land. Unlike dramatic weather events, this climate change impact happens gradually but inexorably.
Two factors accelerate the crisis in Tanzania:
- Rising sea levels from melting glaciers
- Excessive groundwater extraction lowering the water table
“The ocean is gradually encroaching, causing a severe crisis for coastal residents,” said hydrologist Philip Mzava from the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology.
Wealth Offers No Protection
Mariam Suleiman, a wealthy businesswoman, discovered salt in her tap water three years ago. Today, her mansion’s foundations weaken as seawater seeps through cracks.
“I spent millions on this house,” she said, watching her perimeter wall crumble. “Now I don’t know if it will stand in ten years.”
The economic impact spreads across coastal Tanzania:
- Luxury hotels forced to close
- Real estate values plummeting
- Banks refusing coastal property loans
Government Response and Future Outlook
While Tanzania implements coastal protection measures, officials acknowledge the solutions struggle to match the pace of destruction.
“Sea levels are rising,” said Christina Mndeme from the Vice President’s Office for Environment. “Climate change is melting glaciers and threatening our coastal communities.”
For residents like Jumanne Waziri, the future appears bleak: “They hold meetings and make promises – but while they talk, the ocean keeps coming.”
As another coconut tree topples on his property, Waziri whispers, “Another one gone” – uncertain whether he means the tree, his home, or his hope for the future.
IPS UN Bureau Report
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