Disaster prevention

World Water Day 2025 is dedicated to melting 
glaciers. The international children's aid 
organization World Vision is focusing 
particularly on Mount Kilimanjaro, where glacier 
retreat is progressing in conjunction with 
decreasing snowfall and deforestation.
The impacts on the local population are dramatic: 
agriculture and livelihoods in the region are 
increasingly threatened.

Two Years of Drought in the Kilimanjaro Region
Over the past five years, agriculture in the 
Kilimanjaro region has been massively impacted by 
the consequences of climate change. The years 2022 
and 2023 were marked by a prolonged drought during 
which the rainy seasons were unreliable or even 
failed completely. In particular, the so-called short 
rainy season (October to December) failed to 
materialize.

This led to a drastic decline in crop yields and 
uncertainty for farmers, who can no longer reliably 
predict the growing season.

Long dry spell harms agriculture
A project manager at the alliance organization of Aktion 
Deutschland Hilft, World Vision, says: "Rains returned 
at the beginning of the year, but in an irregular and 
destructive manner. The main rainy season was short, 
with extremely heavy rainfall in a few days. This led to 
crop failures, flooding, damaged roads, and destroyed 
houses in the low-lying areas around Kilimanjaro."

Planting trees aims to mitigate the effects of climate change
One focus of World Vision Tanzania's work is 
environmental protection and the promotion of 
climate-resilient agricultural practices. A particular 
focus is on the protection and reforestation of forests.

"Young people are specifically encouraged to plant and 
care for trees. In collaboration with local organizations, 
seedlings of rare and native tree species are cultivated 
to preserve endangered species and strengthen the region's 
resilience to climate change."

Aid organization focuses on native tree species
Another key project of the partner World Vision Tanzania 
is the implementation of Farmer-Managed Natural 
Regeneration (FMNR) in the arid regions around Kilimanjaro. 
This model for natural reforestation is currently being 
expanded with the support of World Vision Germany in 
Naberera, south of the mountain in the Masai Plateau.

The project protects the sprouting roots from deforestation 
and livestock damage, thus enabling the growth of native 
tree species.

World Vision works with schools and communities
Project leader: "Despite these measures, families in the 
region are suffering from the effects of the shrinking 
glacier zones on Kilimanjaro. Harvests are declining overall, 
families are becoming impoverished, and prospects for 
children in particular are deteriorating. That's why World 
Vision is working extensively to improve living conditions, 
especially for children. The alliance organization operates 
in several regions around Kilimanjaro, 
including the dry regions of the Rift Valley and the Maasai 
Plateau in the Kilimanjaro, Manyara, and Arusha regions. 
During the drought, World Vision, together with other 
organizations, local governments, and communities, 
implemented, among other things, school feeding programs.

World Vision Tanzania is part of the international aid 
organization World Vision and is committed to improving 
the living conditions of children, families, and communities 
through sustainable development programs.

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