Legal and Policy Dimensions of Climate Governance in Tanzania: Implications for Environmental Protection and Public Health Resilience

Abstract

Climate change presents escalating threats to Tanzania’s ecosystems, socio-economic systems and public health, demanding a governance framework that effectively integrates environmental protection with health resilience. This article provides a wide-ranging doctrinal analysis of the legal and policy instruments shaping climate governance in Tanzania, drawing on the Environmental Management Act (EMA) 2004, the National Climate Change Response Strategy (2021–2026), the National Environmental Policy (2021) and relevant sectoral laws. The study examines how these domestic frameworks interact with global and regional commitments under the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement, African Union climate strategies and East African Community policies. Findings reveal that while Tanzania has established a robust formal architecture for climate governance, significant gaps remain in implementation, enforcement, institutional coordination and resource allocation. Insufficient mainstreaming of public health concerns into climate adaptation and mitigation strategies further constrains the nation’s resilience, particularly for vulnerable populations such as smallholder farmers, women and residents of informal settlements. The article argues that enhancing climate governance requires clearer institutional mandates, strengthened judicial and regulatory capacity, improved climate finance utilization and systematic integration of public health considerations across all levels of planning. It concludes by proposing targeted legal and policy reforms to advance a more coherent, equitable and health-responsive climate governance regime capable of safeguarding environmental integrity and human well-being in a changing climate.