Last month, I got an opportunity to travel through Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda on a field trip. As part of my research, I interacted with policy-makers, regional experts from diverse backgrounds, academics and journalists. Through my interaction and exposure to East African culture, I was able to develop an improved understanding of the region. Discussions on Africa are generally centered on poverty, disease and disasters. Positive developments in Africa are featured less prominently in mainstream socio-political discourse. Endowed with abundant resources, both human and natural, African countries, especially in East Africa, are gradually getting their act together and striving for growth for their people. The potential of East Africa to emerge as a powerful regional bloc in the continent should receive significant attention.

Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda are among the fastest growing economies in Africa. Global recession did not slow down these East African nations, which have continued to witness positive economic growth at the rate of 5-6 percent annually. Economic growth is also translating into social and human development. Tanzania was able to increase spending on education from 2.2 percent of its GDP in 1995-96 to 4.3 percent in the last few years. Industrial parks are being set up in all major towns which will boost youth employment. The booming economy is not just creating opportunities for the Africans but also attracting foreign investments in telecommunications, banking, agro-industries, and infrastructure, amongst others. In the coming years, an increase in investments could gradually reduce dependence of these countries on aids and grants. 

East Africa is also making great strides towards human development. The efforts to fight AIDS have begun to yield results. According to reports published in Rwanda News Agency, the prevalence rate in the country has fallen below 3 percent, which is remarkable. In Tanzania, the figures estimated by Tanzania Commission for AIDS show the prevalence rate at 5.7 percent, a significant decline of 1.3 percent from 2003-04. Openness about the disease, information campaigns running on TV, radio and newspapers and education have contributed to this decline in the prevalence of AIDS. In recent years, the region has built a robust civil society that is increasingly becoming active in addressing key developmental challenges that plague East Africa. For instance, the NGO sector is involved in energy generation projects that aim to covert waste into energy, harness rain water harvesting in rural areas to make water accessible to poor people, and aid farmers to acquire irrigation infrastructure. The use of waste-to-energy technologies as an alternative energy source has the potential to change the lives of millions of rural poor in East African countries as they grapple with acute power shortages. 

Sub-Saharan Africa has the fastest growing population in the world. In East Africa, the population is likely to double in the next 40- 50 years, resulting in a much larger young population. This could be the biggest positive force for these countries in the coming years. If the economic growth and increased spending on education and health care continue, East Africa could be in a position to reap the benefits from its youth bulge. The �€œdemographic bonus�€ of human resource could ensure work force supply, adoption of new technologies and enable the economy to sustain and increase productivity. 

East African countries are now vigorously pursuing strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change. Studies have indicated that Africa will be worst-affected because of global warming. Rwanda is warming the fastest in the entire continent. However, East African countries have now joined the fight against climate change. In Uganda, there are plans to introduce climate change adaptation measures such as increase budgetary spending on climate change mitigation, introduce pollution tax, amongst others. The government and civil society in Rwanda have been organizing tree planting campaigns in which citizens participate with great enthusiasm, something I witnessed while in Kigali. The eastern province of the country could see around 33 million trees being planted in the next 2-3 years. This campaign has the potential to address the problem of deforestation, soil erosion, and in the long-term protect natural resources such as land and water. In addition, East African countries are carrying out scientific studies and assessments to inform policy makers on environmental impact and state of natural resources in the region.

On the whole, these developments in East Africa indicate opportunities for the countries in the region to emerge as promising nations pursuing sustainable development in the coming years. At present, the region is charting a path based on its own strategic interests, and soon it could be catapulted into a leadership position within Africa on issues such as climate change, food, water and human security.