WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ACT AN OBSTACLE TO SMALL FARMERS IN TANZANIA !!!

By George Sembony, The  Citizen, Tanzania

Posted  Wednesday, June 3  2015 at  11:30

IN SUMMARY

The revelation was made by a three-year climate change project implemented by the Morogoro-based Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Pangani River Basin and Pemba

Tanga.

  Despite the good intentions of the current Water Resources Management Act, the water regulation set by the Act remains a major obstacle to small farmers’ adaptation to climate change, it has been revealed.

The revelation was made by a three-year climate change project implemented by the Morogoro-based Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Pangani River Basin and Pemba.

The coordinator of the project, Prof Joseph Hella, said Act No. 11 of 2009, which is implemented parallel with other water related pieces of legislation, aims at ensuring that the nation’s water resources are protected and controlled to meet the basic needs of present and future generations.

Prof Hella pointed out that despite the good intentions its requirements have made implementation of farmers’ adaptation strategies difficult in the Pangani River Basin which has been affected by climate change.

Prof Hella said that climate change for the Pangani Basin is characterized by decreasing rainfall by 10 millimeters and increase in evapotranspiration by 2 centigrade degrees, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

“Small scale farmers in the basin practice a number of adaptation options for climate change such as cultivating in or near water sources, changing from rain fed to irrigation agriculture, practicing shifting cultivation which has brought an impact to their livelihoods,” he said.

He said that implementation of the project has shown that while farmers are adapting by moving closer to water sources to cultivate on wet soils the act declares distance of prohibition of human activities near water sources by 60 metres.

Prof Hella further said that considering irrigation as an appropriate adaptation to climate change, the act requires all farmers to apply (and subsequently pay) for water rights.

“However, experience shows that the water permit is obtained through a cumbersome bureaucratic process.

“In case of natural disasters such droughts, the Act gives mandate to water officers to provoke other uses of water rather than domestic which in this would directly impede irrigated agriculture,” he said.

Another project researcher Nuru Mziray attested to climate change impacts in the basin, mentioning the increase in conflicts related to water, shifting trends involving families looking for better farming areas and discovery of an increase in salty water in the Pangani River.

God Saga, a researcher with the project, said that the climate change impact includes an increase in social problems such as family feuds whereby men who migrate to lower areas in search of good farming land get married while they are in the new areas.

He also said that because of lack of understanding on the climate change, some villagers attribute the decreasing rains phenomenon to traditional beliefs whereby they claim that a certain tree where they used for traditional rites has been cut down and the Gods are angry.

Another researcher Mussa Bakari attests to changing boundaries of the River Pangani which are created by the charging water patterns while many water springs have vanished.

As a way forward, he said that project recommended amendment to water regulations so as to accommodate farmers’ efforts to adapt to climate change.

The project has also suggested emphasis on water saving irrigation methods such as drip and sprinkler irrigation against flood irrigation methods.

This is apart from educating farmers on how to harvest and store rainwater for irrigation purposes and encouraging farmers to grow drought resistant crops as well as emphasize on sustainable practices for climate change adaptations such as planting trees and soil and water conservation methods.