The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies (DGES) is one of the five departments under the College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CoNAS). The Department was established in July 1999 after the establishment of Faculty of Science. The DGES has qualified staff in Environment–related issues such as Environmental Pollution, Climate Change, Natural Resources Management and Geography.
The Department plays a major role in providing core environmental courses in meteorology, air, land and water pollution and climate change for B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and Management programme. It also offers geography courses for the B.Sc. with Education programme. The Department is Centre of Excellency in environmental-related research. The Department aims to make an important contribution to the scientific understanding of societal issues, such as environmental pollution, climate change, nature and landscape management, soil and water management, exploitation of underground resources, rural and urban development and international development collaboration. The Department also aims to equip students with knowledge of the geomorphological and man-made phenomena, their relationships and consequences over time and space.
We offer courses which challenge students’ ability to integrate theory and practice for the analyzing, understanding, and managing environmental-related problems. In addition to their academic work, all students are encouraged to develop relevant professional, social and communication skills, and orient themselves in the global networks of environmental institutions and movements.
The Department has produced several hundred graduates from inside and outside Tanzania who are now working in academia, international organizations, governments, NGOs and business companies.