The role of civil society organizations (CSOS) in natural resource governance: a case of natural gas in Tanzania

Abstract

Recently, Tanzania has discovered huge commercially viable onshore and offshore natural gas deposits a phenomenon that has triggered the emergence of high expectations from among highest profile government officials to the average Tanzanian of all works of life. These expectations emanate from hopes that discovered commercial viable natural gas will significantly contribute to eradication of the deep-rooted poverty among ordinary Tanzanians. However, literature suggests that effective natural resource governance, among other factors, requires the existence of quality regulatory and monitoring institutions in place as requisite instruments to ensure natural resource are exploited to yield the desired results whereas absence of aforementioned institutions, subject the respective country to the risk of resource curse. Therefore, this study principally intended to examine the role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as a stakeholder in the Natural Gas Policy (2013) in addressing issues of natural gas governance in Tanzania. Empirical evidence collected through documentary reviews, key informant interviews, observation, and Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) indicates that in spite of significant contributions of CSOs to the content and quality of operating policies and legal frameworks in natural gas governance, CSOs are generally weak and therefore do not have adequate capacity to directly influence policies and the legal framework, processes, and their outcomes in governing the natural gas sector. This deficiency is largely attributed to policies and legal frameworks that constrain operational space of CSOs, among other factors. Therefore, this study recommends significant policies amendments to provide more space for CSOs to operate in the natural gas governance in Tanzania.