After a long wait, the World Bank has made a significant decision to suspend financing for a tourism project in Tanzania due to the substantial suffering inflicted on thousands of local inhabitants. This decision follows advocacy efforts by the US-based rights group, the Oakland Institute, which has persistently called for action from the global institution.
The project, amounting to $150 million, intended to enhance the management of natural resources and tourism assets in a remote region of southern Tanzania. Despite over $100 million already being disbursed for the project since its launch in 2017, the World Bank’s suspension of financing became effective on April 18.
The Oakland Institute has been a vocal advocate for defunding the REGROW project, shedding light on severe rights violations experienced by indigenous communities in the area. The group’s report in November censured the World Bank for failing to hold Tanzanian authorities accountable for extrajudicial killings and sexual assaults associated with the Ruaha National Park expansion.
In response to the suspension, the Tanzanian government, aiming to attract more tourists to Ruaha National Park, where the REGROW project is focused, utilized tactics linked to its World Bank funding, as per the Oakland Institute report.
In correspondence viewed by the Associated Press, the World Bank affirmed the suspension of further disbursements for REGROW until satisfaction that the project aligns with their environmental and social standards.
The Oakland Institute’s executive director, Anuradha Mittal, applauded the World Bank’s decision, considering it a triumph for marginalized communities in East Africa. Tanzania heavily depends on tourism for revenue, with efforts to develop national parks for increased visitors revealing instances of abuses against local populations.
Noteworthy violations documented include disappearances, extrajudicial killings, sexual assaults, and seizures of cattle by authorities, imposing financial strains on ranchers to leave the region. These distressing events underscore the importance of upholding environmental, social, and human rights standards in development projects, as underscored by the World Bank’s funding suspension.
For more related articles on this topic, please visit the following links:
– World Bank Suspends Financing for Tanzania Tourism Project
– Africanews – World Bank Suspends Funding for Tanzania Tourism Project