“Bagamoyo: the Largest Construction Project in Tanzania”, 28 December 2018

Bagamoyo is a small fishing town located just 50 kilometers north of Dar es Salaam…

… Currently, China invests heavily in the special economic zone (SEZ) in Bagamoyo. China’s involvement in such projects in the region is a result of president Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)…

The SEZ will consist of a variation of facilities, including roads and a 2,561 km long railway. If the project goes as planned, the Bagamoyo port will be the largest of Africa. Next to the port, roads and railways, the plan is to develop an entire industrial area next to the port with factories and new apartments to house workers. There are even plans to build an airport in the special economic zone.

It is expected, that when finished, the special economic zone will connect Tanzania through the port and airport with the global market but also through the roads and railways with the Tanzanian inland market. This development will attract many investments to Tanzania and therefore boost the economy. The investments will create new industries in East Africa which will lead to new work opportunities for the locals. Obviously, there are also environmental and socio-economic impacts on the country. Impacts on the flora and fauna are supposedly small. However, the construction of the project can lead to air pollution and noise nuisance. Also, the water resources and quality will be affected. Water will be needed for the construction, which can lead to scarce availability of water and therefore competition in the population. On the socio-economic side, there will be risks in the cultural sites, risks in the health of the population and there are concerns about the resettlement of the people living in Bagamoyo…