Purpose
Tanzania is currently experiencing a boom in natural gas, and the resulting gas revenues are expected to be a significant factor in the country’s economic growth. It is critical to manage the natural gas resources and associated revenues to strengthen the Tanzanian economy and to improve the well-being of its population. EDI Global’s team undertook a research project to investigate household perceptions of Tanzania’s nascent natural gas industry and operations to provide recommendations on implementing socially inclusive and sustainable policies in the gas sector. The project received a research grant from the UONGOZI Institute, a public organisation under the Office of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania. UONGOZI research grants aim to support the generation of data and evidence to aid socioeconomic transformation for inclusive growth and development in Tanzania.
Action
EDI Global conducted field surveys in the Mtwara and Lindi regions of Tanzania, which will be the most directly affected by natural gas exploration and extraction, due to their proximity to the discovery sites. During the surveys, EDI Global conducted qualitative and quantitative interviews and was also responsible for defining the research questions, planning the study, creating the survey instruments, training field teams, managing the fieldwork, ensuring data quality, conducting data analysis, writing the final report, and authoring academic journal articles. The research outputs provided an overview of the population’s awareness and knowledge of local natural gas activities and explored their perceptions from economic, environmental, social, and governance perspectives. The team drew on these findings to offer recommendations to policymakers on implementing socially inclusive and sustainable policies in the gas sector in Tanzania.
Impact
EDI Global conducted:
interviews with a random selection of respondents for the quantitative surveys
key informant interviews with community leaders
