Briefing Paper

Realising Water’s Potential to Support Growth in Tanzania

“This brief is a summary of Chapter 10 of the 2007 Poverty and Human Development Report for Tanzania. Tanzania has considered water as a scarce resource and as a consequence, a constraint to, rather than an enabler of growth. However the potential of water to support growth in the economy has not been fully explored. In reality Tanzania has an adequate supply of water resources to meet the requirements of users. This brief recommends that the country repositions water as a growth enabler by focusing on the governance of water resources; strengthening both the management of the resource and the infrastructure for conserving it. This resource should be proactively managed to support the growth of the economy.”