The Status of Strategic Environmental Assessment in Tanzania

Abstract Tanzania is one of the few African countries to formally adopt strategic environmental assessment ( SEA ) to integrate environmental factors into strategic actions and foster sustainable development. However, nearly two decades later, SEA development remains premature. This paper investigated the current state of the Tanzanian SEA system. More specifically, it examined the extent of practice and analyzed the SEA ’s systems strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats ( SWOT  s). Data were gathered through in-depth interviews, policy documents, literature review, and a workshop and analyzed thematically. The analysis reveals limited SEA use between 2004 and 2021. The SWOT analysis provides insights into the internal and external conditions driving SEA implementation in Tanzania, opening a window for SEA stakeholders to grasp the challenges and prospects. Based on the SWOT  s identified, the author has proposed policy actions to advance SEA in Tanzania. The research contributes to the global SEA stocktaking efforts and ongoing refinement and continuous improvement of SEA systems in Tanzania and comparable jurisdictions.