By Alfred Zacharia
Tanzania has reduced the average distance rural households travel to collect water from about two kilometres in 2020 to under 400 metres in 2025, as President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government ramps up investment in water and sanitation.
Budget allocations for the sector through the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government have risen by nearly 30 percent in five years, reaching TZS 755.6 billion in the 2024/25 fiscal year from TZS 581.6 billion in 2020/21.
The government says the funds have supported projects including 13 boreholes, 11 water supply systems with storage tanks, and 12 engineered landfills.
More than 330 million trees have also been planted to protect water sources and mitigate climate change.
As a result, rural water coverage increased to 77.0 percent in 2024/25 from 70.1 percent in 2020/21, while urban access rose to 91.0 percent from 84.2 percent in the same period.
Analysts say the progress highlights the administration’s emphasis on service delivery in sectors with direct social impact, while also aligning with Tanzania’s climate resilience agenda.
The reduction in walking distance to water points is seen as easing the burden on women and children in rural communities, a long-standing development challenge.
It goes without saying that sustaining these gains will require continuous financing and stronger governance of water utilities, as demand for clean water rises with rapid population growth and urbanisation.
