Waste segregation is an important component in the waste management chain as it makes it possible to realize effective Reuse, Recycling and Recovery (RRR). Unfortunately, it has received little attention and is normally informally practiced in most developing countries (DC). It is also affected by lack of awareness, weak regulatory frameworks and enforcement, lack of economic incentive and a low priority in planning. This study was conducted in Kimara ward in Dar es Salaam city in Tanzania. It employed interviews, household surveys and waste measurements, to establish the potential for RRR as well as the underlying factors that are related to the community perspectives and strategies for enhancement of RRR. Results show that the generation rate was 0.53 kg/Cap.day and the main type was food waste (>60% of the composition by weight). The study revealed further that reuse and recycling of plastics, electronics and metals are informally practiced and the selling chain is from household to waste collectors to recycling centers and finally to industries. The potential for RRR was found to be high but, it is affected by lack of facilities, inadequate enforcement of the policy as well as lack of awareness and strategies for its promotion. Community perceptions on what could be done to improve segregation include the provision of facilities for waste segregation and financial returns to the community from recycling business could promote RRR. Formulation of strategies to formalize and mainstream RRR into training programmes and adequate enforcement mechanisms are some of the recommended policy actions.

Climate change has major impacts to the livelihoods of the rural communities. In order to counteract the situation communities have developed various means for coping and adapting to the impacts. This paper reviews the various adaptation strategies by which different local communities (fishermen, pastoralists and farmers) in Tanzania have developed and discusses the sustainability of some of the strategies. It has been documented that farmers in Tanzania use traditional practices such as terracing (matuta), ngolo, tree planting, and construction of locally based water reservoirs (nkunisa), mixed cropping and crop diversification. Pastoralists use strategies such as ngitiri, rain water harvesting in ditches (malambo), check dams and engagement in alternative economic activities; and fishermen use methods such as change in fishing time, deep water fishing, scheduling particular time for fishing and engagement in other alternative economic activities. Based on the ability of the strategy to improve the capacity of the communities to respond to climate change effects, ease of implementation, the affordability, the strategies have been categorized as sustainable or not. It has been noted that the use of the sustainable indigenous strategies can improve the management of climate change effects provided that the underlying limitations are overcome. The limitations to the effectiveness of some of the documented coping and adaptation strategies may arise for instance from failure to fit the local context. It is therefore concluded that the analysis of a number of scenarios need to be undertaken prior to replication of any strategy.

Fire disasters are accompanied with devastating impact affecting both lives and properties. The magnitude of the impacts has been severe in places with low levels of fire disaster preparedness. A study was conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to investigate the level of fire disaster preparedness considering the availability and condition of firefighting facilities as well as the knowledge on fire management among the selected 10 higher learning institutions. Information for the buildings was obtained from the interviews with the managers of the buildings and field observations; information on the user’s preparedness was obtained from interviews using structured questionnaire conducted with the users of the buildings including the visitors. Results from the studied buildings indicated that 60% of the firefighting facilities were not regularly serviced; 50% stored some hazardous materials; 70% of them had not enough water storage for firefighting purposes; 60% had no identifiable fire assembly points; and 90% of the sessions conducted in the buildings involved more than 100 people in a single venue. Further results indicated that 51% of the respondents were not able to operate the installed firefighting facilities; 80.7% of the respondents had never received any training on firefighting and prevention; 95.6% of the respondents had never participated in any fire drills; and 81.5% of them were not aware of the fire responder’s contacts. General situation indicated that higher learning institutions are not well prepared to manage fire outbreaks suggesting that plans to rectify the situation are imperative.

Green buildings have proven to be essential contributors to the sustainability of buildings in the construction industry. However, in developing economies, the rate of green building adoption is slow. Moreover, the factors linked to a relatively slow adoption rarely feature in the literature. This study seeks to bridge the gap by first exploring factors influencing the adoption of green buildings. Second, analysing strategies and preferences determining the adoption of green building principles and lastly, exploring case-based opportunities for their adoption in Tanzania. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data from twelve key informants. The qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The findings indicate that the most influential factors in green building adoption are related to key organizational decisions. Moreover, social and environmental factors are more related to green building adoption than economic factors. In addition, energy and water efficiency are the most commonly adopted sustainability features, while certified materials, recycling and reusing are rarely implemented. Since green building adoption is still in its infancy, this study informs policymakers, professional bodies, developers, and researchers of the empirically supported factors for green building adoption. The conclusions can be amplified within the sustainability movement. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the precursors of green building adoption, which is increasingly becoming a paradigm shift in the construction sector. The study is the first to present an in-depth analysis of the real-life factors influencing the adoption of green buildings in Tanzania.