Tanga Water Fund

Tanga city relies almost exclusively on the Zigi river for its domestic, commercial, and industrial water needs.  Its headwaters emanate from the East Usambara Mountains, which are globally recognized for their exceptional biodiversity and species endemism.  However, land-use changes due to human expansion have led to the deterioration of water quality.  Sustainable land- management practices will improve water quality while also enhancing livlihoods and reduce pressure on ecosystems. 

In 2020, TNC performed a study for the implementation of a water fund in Tanga, leading to the creation of a steering committee composed by local stakeholders, as well as the implementation of pilot projects. 

N$W is leveraging this work to support local stakeholders with the creation of a feazibilty and design study that will (i) prioritize NbS, (ii) design a long-term funding strategy, (iii)recommend the best suited legal and governance arrangements for the water fund, (iv) assess the local capacity building needs for the implementation of the identified NbS, and (v) design a implementation and monitoring and evaluation strategy.