The treatment of climate change impacts and adaptation in the environmental impact assessment of the standard Gauge railway project in Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Transport remains one of the essential infrastructures, crucial for socio-economic development. However, climate change threatens the transport infrastructure development gains already achieved globally. The incorporation of climate change and adaptation capabilities into environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes has been extensively discussed and linked to enhanced project climate resilience. However, a considerable research gap remains unexplored, and that is assessing whether and how EIA has been used to climate-proof development proposals in Africa. This study examined how climate change impacts and adaptation capabilities featured in the EIA of a major transport infrastructure project in Tanzania. It draws on reviewing the project’s environmental impact statement (EIS) using review criteria derived from the literature. The findings revealed that all EIA stages addressed climate change in one way or another, with some of the criteria more comprehensively treated than others. A closer examination unveiled several good practices, which evidence appreciation for climate science and considerable strength in climate change preparedness. The results highlight EIA’s potential to steer climate efforts among vulnerable communities systematically. This paper will contribute to the international discussion on this issue and offer a basis for further research towards deeper engagement between the actors within EIA, transport planning and climate networks.

KEYWORDS:

• Transport infrastructure
• climate change
• adaptation
• environmental impact assessment
• environmental impact statement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Amani G. Rweyendela

Amani G. Rweyendela is a PhD Candidate at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, where he studies Climate Change and Sustainable Development. He also serves as an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, University of Dodoma, Tanzania.

William J. Mwegoha

William J. Mwegoha is an Associate Professor of Applied Systems Analysis at the same department. He also currently serves as Acting Principal of the College of Earth Sciences and Engineering, University of Dodoma, Tanzania.