Environmental protection law

Environmental protection law

Tanzania has an Environmental Management Law, which was enacted in 2004. This law replaced the Environmental Management Law of 1983. The law states that every person has a right to live in a clean, safe and healthy environment. The law gives citizens the rights to access various segments of the environment for recreational, educational, health, spiritual, cultural and economic purposes.

Moreover, every person can take legal action against anybody who is likely to cause environmental destruction. The law states that every person has a right and duty to safeguard and develop the environment and to inform the relevant authority of any activity that may affect the environment. The law directs the establishment of permanent environmental committees in hamlets, villages, wards and urban areas.

Enforcement of the environmental protection law

Every citizen is obliged to obey the law. The following are examples of the provisions of the law and regulations that are used to protect the environment:

1. It is forbidden to leave rubbish in prohibited areas. Such as homes, business areas, trenches, or along the road.

2. Trucks carrying wastes are forbidden to dispose of and spread wastes. Along the road or compounds. In addition, neither a passenger nor a vehicle owner is allowed to throw rubbish or wastes on the road. Wastes must be put in a dustbin.

3. No one is allowed to attend the call of nature. Such as urinating in an open area. Each home must have a clean and safe toilet or a pit latrine.

4. Nobody is allowed to conduct any kind of business. In areas which have not been set aside for that particular activity.

5. It is forbidden to dump wastes, have a bath, wash clothes or clean equipment. And conduct agricultural and livestock activities in water sources.

6. The law that prohibits the manufacture, supply, importation and use of plastic bags. Came into force on 1st June 2019. The bags highly contributed to environmental pollution.