Israel wants to assist Tanzania to desalinate water from the Indian Ocean for human consumption
Israel has shown interest to assist Tanzania in the desalination of the Indian Ocean waters for human, domestic and industrial use in especially in Tanga, Dar-es-salaam and other areas striding the sea.
That was conveyed here by the Israeli envoy to Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and Seychelles Ambassador Michael Lotem, whose office also handles Tanzanian diplomatic matters.
Ambassador Lotem revealed that more than 70 percent of the water used in Israel comes from the Mediterranean Sea after undergoing desalination process and that in order to reduce wastage; the country was also recycling all sewage waters.
“We have also been recycling the water we use to reduce wastage and pump that into irrigation projects to boost agricultural production,” explained the envoy.
Israel was recently reported to be also working to replenish the inland sea of Galilee with desalinated water becoming the first country in the world to pump water from one ocean via desalination plants into an inland freshwater sea.
“This is also an area where Israel can work with Tanzania in addressing the latter’s water problems especially in Tanga and Dar-es-salaam Cities as well as other urban areas mapped alongside the Indian Ocean Coastline,” he added.
The Tanzanian coastline along the Indian Ocean covers more than 1300 kilometers and its sea territory is being envisaged to be the ultimate solution for the country’s water problems.
Environment experts say with ongoing effects of climate change, Tanzania is among the countries in Africa that will experience acute water shortages in the near future.
Addressing the National Assembly in Dodoma recently, the Minister of Water, Jumaa Aweso revealed that, at the moment the demand for water in the country is averaged at 64 billion cubic meters as per 2023 estimates.
However, the Minister pointed out that experts predict Tanzania’s water demands will shoot up to 80.2 million cubic meters in 2035, spelling disaster in the equally increasing population.
Tanzania’s current water allocation per capita is 2105 cubic meters from the country’s production of 126 billion cubic meters in a year, catering for the mainland population of 59.8 million residents.
Water production in Tanzania is on decline due to increasing human population and activities as well as increasing drought spells affecting most parts of East Africa.
Due to that, water allocation per capita is expected to drop down to just 883 cubic meters per capita by the year 2035 which will be below international average of 1700 cubic meters per capita.