Tanzania Confronts Escalating Tree Cover Loss and Recent Fire Incident in Iringa Region

Tanzania Confronts Escalating Tree Cover Loss and Recent Fire Incident in Iringa Region

Tanzania is grappling with a significant decline in tree cover, with recent data revealing a net loss of 3.80 million hectares, marking an 11.30% decrease in tree cover. The country's tree cover extent, which spans over 26 million hectares, has been subjected to various pressures, including shifting agriculture, the dominant driver of deforestation, accounting for the vast majority of tree cover loss. Other contributing factors include forestry activities, urbanization, and wildfires, which, while less significant in comparison, still contribute to the overall environmental impact.

The trend over the past two decades shows a worrying escalation in tree cover loss, with shifting agriculture remaining the primary cause. This practice has led to the loss of millions of hectares of forest, with the most substantial losses recorded in the years 2008, 2013, 2014, and 2020. The impact of this loss is not only ecological but also contributes to the release of millions of metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change concerns.