Tanzania
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. Most Tanzanians still depend on subsistence farming for their survival and do not benefit from the economic growth.
The 2009 UNDP Human Development Report ranks the country 151st out of 182 . Tanzania has a per capita income of 440 USD , one of the lowest in the world. Even though economic growth has been steady during the past decade, most Tanzanians still depend on subsistence farming for their survival and do not benefit from the economic growth.
The focus of the Belgian support lies on poverty alleviation. Currently Belgian cooperation works in Natural Resources Management, Local Government Reform, Agriculture, and Water and Sanitation. The coming years the efforts will be concentrated on Local Government Reform and Natural Resource Management. This concentration is in line with recent international commitments in Paris and Accra, aiming to harmonise the efforts of the different development partners.
Decentralisation
Belgium offers financial and technical assistance to the Tanzanian Local Government Reform Programme. This programme was set up to strengthen local authorities and transform them into effective instruments of social and economic development. It entails the decentralization of government responsibilities and financial resources to the local level. Their increased autonomy allows district councils to set their own priorities and implement their own development plans. The local government administration will thus be answerable to local needs and will be held accountable by local councils. In other words, the local governments become the driving force of development, in response to the needs of the grassroots.
Natural resource management
Natural resources are of major importance for long-term economic development and poverty reduction in general. Communities in Tanzania depend on the surrounding natural resources for their income - through fishing, farming, hunting, livestock-keeping or forestry. Therefore BTC supports Tanzanian initiatives in which environmental conservation goes hand in hand with economic development. BTC’s action focuses on capacity building of the local governments, especially in planning and management of the available natural resources. Through support to the lower level governments, BTC interventions have a direct impact at the grassroots level and improve the livelihoods of the rural poor.
