Arusha region is one of the most unique regions of Tanzania. It is a
land of paradoxes and extremes. The region contains one of the most
equable climates in the country where living is a climatic paradise, but
its lowlands are some of the hottest and dustiest areas to live in. Its
highlands have the greatest potential for agricultural production but
severe malnutrition among children is rampart in most of the highlands
of Ngorongoro district.
Arusha region’s Longido, Monduli and Mango’la ward of Karatu district
form the North East West Triangle. This is a triangle containing the
driest spots on Mainland Tanzania where the environment is so fragile
that it could be the points from which desert conditions in Tanzania
will spread. Yet the highlands of Arusha region on the slopes of Mount
Meru and Mount Oldeani enjoy very high rainfalls of between 1,000mm and
1,200mm per year. As a consequence of these two climatic extremes, there
are very few shallow wells in the region. Water supply schemes on the
highlands are dominated by springs and surface water sources such as
lakes, dams, charcos and rivers. In the drought prone lowlands, water
sources are mostly deep bore holes or rain water is harvested directly.
In the Tanzania context, Arusha region is an advantaged region
economically though it contains some of the most disadvantaged people in
the land, known as the Hadzabe in Karatu district. These people are on
the verge of marginalisation because they have yet to shed their history
as hunters and gatherers of wild honey and wild roots. Bringing her
people into the mainstream of development is one of the greatest challenges the region faces.
Geographicallly Arusha, the capital of Arusha region, is
strategically near the centre of the Kenya/Uganda/Tanzania land mass. It
is easily accessible from all the capitals of these countries.
Consequently and naturally Arusha town has been developing as the
capital of the East African Community with the Arusha International
Conference Centre (AICC) at the pivot.
Arusha town has also the distinction of being the centre of the trade
in that unique Tanzanian gemstone called Tanzanite which is mined at
Mererani in neighbouring Manyara region. The industrial potential of
unique Lake Natron once developed will add to the region’s prestige as
an industrial region. Lake Natron contains the country’s only
commercial deposits of soda ash.
Source: Arusha Regional Website
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