Analysis of rainfall variability and trends for better climate risk management in the major agro-ecological zones in Tanzania

Managing climate risk in agriculture requires a proper understanding of climatic conditions, regional and global climatic drivers, as well as major agricultural activities at the particular location of interest. Critical analyses of variability and trends in the historical climatic conditions are crucial in designing and implementing action plans to improve resilience and reduce the risks of exposure to harsh climatic conditions. However, in Tanzania, less is known about the variability and trends in the recent climatological conditions. The current study examined variability and trends in rainfall of major agroecological zones in Tanzania (1o - 12oS, 21o - 41oE) using station data from seven locations i.e. Hombolo, Igeri, Ilonga, Naliendele, Mlingano, Tumbi, and Ukiliguru which had records from 1981 to 2020 and two locations i.e. Dodoma and Tanga having records from 1958 to 2020. The variability in annual rainfall was high in Hombolo and Tanga locations (CV ≥ 28%) and low in Igeri (CV = 16%). The OND season showed the highest variability in rainfall (34% to 61%) as compared to the MAM (26% to 36%) and DJFMA (20% to 31%) seasons. We found increasing and decreasing trends in the number of rainy days in Ukiliguru and Tanga respectively, and a decreasing trend in the MAM rainfall in Mlingano. The trends in other locations were statistically insignificant. We assessed the forecast skills of seasonal rainfall forecasts issued by the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) and IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) Climate Prediction and Application Center (ICPAC). We found TMA forecasts had higher skills compared to ICPAC forecasts, however, our assessment was limited to MAM and OND seasons due to the unavailability of seasonal forecasts of the DJFMA season issued by ICPAC. Moreover, we showed that Integration of SCF with SSTa increases the reliability of the SCF to 80% at many locations which present an opportunity for better utilization of the SCF in agricultural decision making and better management of climate risks

Exploring urban rural interdependence and the impact of climate change in Tanzania and Malawi: final narrative report

Africa is rapidly urbanizing, by 2030 there are projected to be over 759 million African urban dwellers. This poses major challenges for the further provision of infrastructure and services. Alongside this, Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change and climate variability (CC&CV). As urbanisation and inequality increase, more sophisticated analyses of the linkages and interdependencies between rural and urban areas are emerging. Flows of products, people, knowledge and information, natural resources and money provide strong and dynamic linkages. This action research project explored the relationships and dynamics between rural localities and their linked urban centres, focusing on the agriculture and food innovation systems. It specifically aimed to: Develop a collective understanding of the vulnerabilities, roles, climate-related risks and strategies among interdependent rural and urban communities, local government and other key stakeholders. Collectively develop and test viable options and strategies for key interdependent rural- urban stakeholders in the agriculture and food innovation systems to adapt to CC&CV; and Learn and share lessons for scaling up successful strategies for strengthening adaptive capacity within these interdependent agriculture and food innovation systems

Soil and water conservation for climate-resilient agriculture

This chapter describes soil and water conservation measures for climate-resilient agriculture. It presents three interventions that can be used separately or in combination, depending on the context of the region: (1) integrating strips of forage grasses and legumes; (2) rainwater harvesting through tied ridges and ripping techniques; (3) constructing banks and ditches as part of an agroforestry system. The description of each technology, its benefits and application are discussed

Exploring Urban Rural Interdependence and the Impact of Climate Change in Tanzania and Malawi

The research focus is urban and rural linkages in relation to agriculture and food systems, while also aiming to strengthen innovation capacity for better adaptation to climate change and climate variability. Findings revealed that farmer learning groups led to rapid uptake of successful technologies on members’ own fields, as well as on their neighbouring fields, and that farmers became empowered through access to information and agricultural extension services. The study further established that the participatory learning approach strengthened farmers’ ability to analyze and identify ways of improving their situation and enabled them to adopt appropriate technologies. Capacity building interventions are summarized

Strengthening local agricultural innovation systems in Tanzania and Malawi to adapt to the challenges and opportunities arising from climate change and variability : draft final technical report

The project collectively identified information, training and products to be shared and used to develop agricultural innovation systems better able to adapt to climate change and variability. Major research themes included soil and water management, crop and varietal biodiversity, and local weather data. In general, findings revealed that deep tillage for in-situ harvesting of rain water, early maturing and drought resistant varieties and crops, new cash crops, training on community seed production, improved irrigation arrangements, and climate change and climate variability awareness raising, all contributed to strengthening adaptation capacity as indicated by increased crop yields

New high-yielding, stress-resilient, and nutritious crop varieties

The Africa RISING research for development agenda is guided by the principles of sustainable intensification (SI) and farming systems. SI refers to efficient use of resources for agriculture that results in increased productivity on the same amount of land (Pretty, 1997; Reardon et al., 1996). A farming system refers to a population of individual farm systems that may have widely different resource bases, enterprise patterns, household livelihoods, and constraints (Giller, 2013). Africa RISING focuses on efficient use of resources for agriculture, to produce more food on the same amount of land, but with reduced negative environmental or social impacts. This approach is necessary given the diverse farming systems of East and Southern Africa (ESA), which are predominantly smallholder-based