Building Climate Resilient Food Systems in Tanzania and Photo exhibition “Capturing Climate Change”
A single picture is worth thousands words! From February 9 till March 3, the Embassy hosted the photo exhibition ‘Capturing Climate Change’ in Dar es Salaam. This exhibition showed the photographic works developed by four Tanzanian and four Kenyan photographers. Their works explore many aspects of life, from urban living to wildlife, and engage with both critical and constructive visual journalism to highlight the local impact of the climate change. These visual stories were showcased alongside the works of the international award-winning photojournalist Kadir van Lohuizen.
The eight talented photojournalists were selected to take part in a mentorship program by Kadir van Lohuizen for the professional development of their visual practice when documenting climate change. To mark the end of this mentorship program, the 8 journalist got a platform to showcase their work over an exhibition event co-organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tanzania and NOOR IMAGES.
Climate change has an immense impact in the world. Without immediate action, the adverse effects will continue to increase in the upcoming years and become irreversible. In Tanzania, over 60% of the country’s soil is currently facing desertification largely due to the unsustainable rate of deforestation across the country. This is partly caused by the high demand for charcoal and firewood sourced from local trees. The exploitation of forests for timber, whether for energy use or other products is a valuable source of income for many. If the present rate of deforestation continues unabated, it is predicted to lead to global drought, high temperatures, uninhabitable and barren land by the end of the century. The exhibition brought together various visual stories on the climate crisis, from its global consequences to the everyday impact on local communities in Tanzania and Kenya.
Furthermore, the exhibition included a selection of images showcasing some of the dedicated programs for climate action in Tanzania, which are supported by the Netherlands and partners such as SNV and JustDiggit.
By highlighting these valuable stories through powerful visual journalism, the exhibition aimed to inspire climate action, especially involving and inspiring youth, to remind all of us that positive change is possible by joining forces, and that together we can create a better world.
Alongside this exhibition, three ‘Climate Talks’ were organized aiming to stimulate a dialogue about climate action: one about agriculture, one about rising sea levels and about young climate activists.
On February 10, the climate talk on agriculture ‘Building climate-resilient food systems in Tanzania’ took place. Over 150 people attended physically and the event was livestreamed for more people to watch online. Mr. Geoffrey Kirenga, the Chief Executive Officer of Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) kicked the evening off with an inspiring keynote talk, followed by a panel discussion with Harald Peeters (RijkZwaan), Lawrence Rusere (Digital Mobile Africa), Luccy Ssendi Tanzania Sustainable Poverty Alleviation (TASPA) and Godfrey Kabuka (SNV).
”we all have a responsibility to make agriculture more sexy and appealing to the youth!"
Driven by an enthusiastic audience, topics were discussed broadly zooming into the opportunities for Tanzanian agriculture to become more sustainable, and the role of youth in the agriculture value chain. The event was fully recorded as a short movie.
For more information about the climate smart agriculture please email Menno Keizer via mkeizer@snv.org. For any questions for the agricultural department, feel free to contact us via dar-lnv@minbuza.nl. For the latest updates on activities, new articles and more follow us on twitter via @NLAgiTanzania and you can subscribe to our newsletter by sending us an email.