More than half of the solid waste generated across mainland Tanzania every month is not collected, exposing communities to health risks and increasing the threat of flooding as the country prepares for potentially heavy El Niño rains.
Government data show that Tanzania generates 689,144 tonnes of solid waste every month across 26 mainland regions, but only 339,095.2 tonnes, or 49.2 percent, is collected.
A further 325,087.6 tonnes, equivalent to 47.2 percent of the total waste generated, reaches designated disposal sites.
This means 350,048.8 tonnes, or 50.8 percent, remains uncollected every month, highlighting major gaps in waste collection, transportation and disposal systems.
The figures were presented on Thursday by the Director of Preventive Services, Dr Samwel Nhiga, during a working session in Morogoro to prepare an urgent sanitation action plan and a national guideline on environmental sanitation and solid waste management.
Dr Nhiga said the scale of uncollected waste required immediate action by local authorities, private waste collectors, environmental experts and communities.
The warning comes as Tanzania prepares for the possibility of heavy El Niño rains, which could turn accumulated waste into a bigger public-health and flooding problem.
Plastic and other waste dumped on roadsides, in open spaces and drainage channels can block water flows, increasing the risk of flooding during heavy rainfall.
Dr Nhiga said poorly managed waste also creates breeding grounds for flies, mosquitoes and rodents, increasing the risk of diseases including cholera, malaria, typhoid and diarrhoeal illnesses.
Waste dumped in unauthorised areas can also contaminate water sources and worsen the environmental conditions in towns and cities.
“We need immediate measures to reduce waste in residential and public areas, strengthen waste collection services and prevent the emergence of informal dumping sites,” Dr Nhiga said.
The government is also promoting the “Five Metres, My Cleanliness; My Cleanliness, Five Metres” campaign, which calls on households, institutions and authorities to take responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean.
Dr Nhiga urged local government authorities and other institutions responsible for sanitation to improve supervision of waste collection services and contracts awarded to private service providers.
He said better waste management was important not only for preventing disease but also for protecting the appearance of Tanzania’s towns and cities as the country prepares for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The government is expected to use the proposed urgent sanitation action plan and national guidelines to strengthen how waste is collected, transported and disposed of, with the aim of closing the gap between the amount of waste generated and the amount that reaches designated disposal sites.