Environmental Impact of Wetland Resources Utilization in Simuyu Basin, Tanzania

There is a growing appreciation of the natural functions of wetlands, and the values and different forms of uses that humans attach to them. Wise use and special conservation strategies are therefore needed in order to sustain their productivity. Wetlands are one of the most fruitful areas of archaeological research, and they are the ideal setting in which to study the interactions between physical processes and human actions that encapsulate and exemplify many of the themes of man's impact on his environment. But all these beneficial functions of wetlands seem to be in danger of being lost to draining and in-filling. This paper attempts to address how the Geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques could be used to unveil land use patterns that have resulted in degradation of the wetlands in Simuyu basin in Tanzania. The analyses drawn upon the use of remote sensing data for assessment of wetland resources: land, forestry, agriculture settlement, grazing, and wetland management, and highlight the physical and technical characteristics of the resource. Landsat images used for vegetation mapping and land cover change study were at a temporal scale of a  la-year interval from 1973.  1973,  1985, 1995, and 2005. Landsat satellite images were used to inform landscape qualities over broad areas under the study area. The satellite sensors being used cover the visible and infra-red (VIR) spectrum up to the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum and are being based on a single sensor approach or sensor combination that fulfills a  minimum requirement for practical land cover mapping and inventory purposes (e.g. forest and non-forest areas, wetland and dryland, varying land use density, dominant species (crop) composition, flood prone areas and impact of human activities). Both the technical capabilities and the potentials of the data are presented in correlation with the existing ground conditions

Socio-Economic Impacts of Water Scarcity in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Drought  and  the  resulting  low  water  levels  in  rivers  exacerbate  water  scarcity  conditions  in  Dar  es  Salaam  city.  The result is frequent water rationing in areas served with piped water, sometimes for days or weeks, and low water pressure, which leads residents to resort to other less safe and sometimes more expensive water sources. The frequent and current response to the inadequate piped water supply in Dar es Salaam has been the use of groundwater resources. There are both public and private bore-holes and wells drilling companies in Dar es Salaam.. This paper therefore, presents some socio-economic  impacts  of  water  scarcity  in  Dar  es Salaam  city.  The  methodology  employed  in  field  data  and information collection includes interviews, questionnaire, focus group discussions and participatory observation. This is data triangulation, an essential technique for improving the reliability of data and information. The study reveals that the participation of local community (including water vendors and private business entrepreneurs) in water delivery systems through  drilling  bore-holes  and  shallow  wells  has  improved  water  supplies  in  the  study  areas.  However,  the  study  has revealed some problems related to water scarcity in Dar es Salaam. These include high prices for water, poor sanitation and hygiene, unsafe and unclean water and inconvenient payment systems. Poor sanitation is related to stagnant water around the bore-holes and shallow wells. It is noted that unsafe water is mainly a problem for those obtaining water from water vendors and/or hire young men to collect water for household uses. However, the study concludes that individual’s participation  in  water  delivery  systems  in  Dar  es  Salaam  City  has  positively  improved  the  life  standards  of  the  local people, particularly the poor

Water for Everyone

Around one in ten Tanzanians source their water from rivers originating in the Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM). In Dar es Salaam, the main water source is the Ruvu River, flowing from Uluguru Nature Reserve, from which around 300 million litres are extracted daily. Moreover, at least half of Tanzanian hydroelectricity is generated from EAM rivers. The EAM contain moist forest assemblages as well as large areas of miombo woodland at lower elevations and on drier leeward aspects. These biomes are believed to play significant roles in the regulation of hydrological flow, flood mitigation and soil conservation. Despite this hypothesised importance, the interactions between river flow, habitat type and land use are not well understood. To explore these complexities, the Valuing the Arc programme (VTA) parameterised a detailed, daily water model called SWAT to model the hydrology of two focal catchments: the Sigi in Tanga Region and the Ruvu in Morogoro region. In addition, we developed a broader scale, monthly model (WatR) to tentatively explore hydrological flow across the wider VTA region

Assessing the hydrological conditions of the Usangu wetlands in Tanzania

Although wetlands make up less than 10% of Tanzania, their “critical, life support, ecosystem services” sus- tain over 95% of lives, of wildlife and of livestock. They provide security as sources of food, water, energy, economy and livelihoods, therefore, the aim of this paper is to address the current hydrologic conditions of Usangu wetlands. Several approaches were used in the collection of data for analysis. Both primary and sec- ondary data was collected and analysed. The key finding shows that, the overall area of the Usangu Wetlands is divided into two main portions, the Eastern Wetland and the Western Wetland, the core wetland, the Ihefu Swamp varies between 30 and 65 km2, whereas the seasonally wetted areas varies between 260 and 1800 km2. Major perennial rivers which feed the Ihefu swamp in Usangu wetlands include Kimani, Mbalali, Ndembera and the Great Ruaha River. The contribution from Mbalali River ranges between 69.17% and 47.78%; from Ndembera River ranges between 25% and 13.83%; from Kimani River ranges between 25% and 8.33% and from Great Ruaha River contribution ranges 24.0% and 2.96%. The irrigated agriculture is most important as a user of water and impacts most heavily on wetlands. Abstraction of water for agriculture is leading to dried up rivers, falling ground water tables, salinated soil and polluted waterways.also available at http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?paperID=16399REPOA-Tanzani

Impact of Institutional Framework on Wetland Management in Tanzania

Wetland loss continues today despite the existence of institutions with a specific mandate to manage wetlands in Tanzania. In reviewing this apparent contradiction, this paper goes in depth to explore the existing sectors associated with the development and management of wetlands in the Country. Specifically it focuses on institutional framework at Village level, Ward level, District level and national level. Among the key sectors consulted includes; agriculture and livestock, wildlife, forestry, fisheries, water resources, lands, minerals and energy. The interest while visiting them was aiming at exploring the existing opportunity with regard to the values of the wetlands and their respective policies. The findings of this study show that, wetland loss continues today despite the existence of institutions with a specific mandate to manage wetlands. The principle factors contributing to this institutional inefficient are: sectoral organization of wetland management; limited availability of management techniques for protected wetland; shortage of qualified staff; inadequate legislation; and limited resources. This paper therefore, recommends the mitigating. measures in order to sustain wetland resources use and management

Freshwater resources

This is Chapter 3 of the report of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It describes the risks posed by climate change to freshwater resources and their management

REDD herrings or REDD menace: response to Beymer-Farris and Bassett

Norwegian funded REDD+ projects in Tanzania have attracted a lot of attention, as has the wider REDD+ policy that aims to reduce deforestation and degradation and enhance carbon storage in forests of the developing countries. One of these REDD+ projects, managed by WWF Tanzania, was criticised in a scientific paper published in GEC, and consequently in the global media, for being linked to attempted evictions of communities living in the Rufiji delta mangroves by the Government of Tanzania, allegedly to make the area ‘ready for REDD’. In this response, we show how this eviction event in Rufiji mangroves has a history stretching back over 100 years, has nothing to do with REDD+ or any policy changes by government, and is not in any way linked to the work of any WWF project in Tanzania. We also outline some of the broader challenges faced by REDD+ in Tanzani