Browsing by Author "Meire, Patrick"

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Paying to conserve watershed services in Pangani River Basin, Tanzania
(Springer Nature Switzerland, 2015) Lalika, Makarius C.S.; Meire, Patrick; Ngaga, Yonika M.
Human beings depend on the integrity of watersheds to provide ecosys- tem services (e.g., water) that they need for their survival. The current watershed degradation represents the most serious threat to the provision of watershed ser- vices. The worldwide demand for integrated approaches to provide solutions to water flow reduction represents a significant shift towards management focussed on the sustained use of water catchment areas. This paper reports the findings of a study that was carried out to explore the potential for paying for the management of watershed areas in the Pangani River Basin in Tanzania. Site visits enabled the collection of hydrological data, and documented reviews and structured question- naires were used to collect socioeconomic data. MS Excel was applied in drawing figures. We found that the minimum and maximum quantities of water discharge were 11,300,365 and 15,839,833 m 3 and 7,787,600 and 8,602,361 m 3 in Arusha and Moshi, respectively. Similarly, the minimum and maximum revenue collec- tions from water users were €987,766, 60 and €1,659,160, 71; and €920,916, 40 and €1,456,075, 49 as projections and actual revenue collection, respectively. We conclude that water supply problems are caused by watershed degradation and obsolete water infrastructures. We recommend the integration of payment for watershed conservation approaches into watershed management to enhance sus- tainable water flow.
Understanding watershed dynamics and impacts of climate change and variability in the Pangani River Basin, Tanzania
(Elsevier, 2014-12-02) Lalika, Makarius C.S.; Meire, Patrick; Ngaga, Yonika M.; Chang’a, Ladislaus
Watersheds and rivers are vital ecological features for the provision of hydrological services for the health, welfare and prosperity of human communities. Nevertheless, anthropogenic activities coupled with climate change and climate variability are blamed for degrading watersheds and rivers and decreasing their capacity to irrigate. To address the situation, it is important to understand why and how water shortages are occurring. This paper reports findings of a study carried out to identify and assess drivers of water shortages and adaptation strategies to climate change and variability in Pangani River Basin of Tanzania. To assess the influence of climate change and variability on hydrological flow and water shortages, time series data on rainfall and temperature were compiled from the Tanzania Meteorological Agency. We also used structured questionnaires to collect data on villagers’ perceptions about the drivers of water shortages and adaptation strategies. Results indicated a decreasing trend of water flow (p < 0.05) at Kikuletwa– Karangai gauging station along Pangani River Basin. Trend analysis indicated a slight decrease of rainfall and increase of temperature. Although there is no empirical evidence to associate climate change with the decline of rainfall and water flow, adaptation measures need to be put in place in order to mitigate against increasing climate variability, reduced water flow, and projected climate change. Therefore, watershed conservation strategies should also focus on improving the welfare of local communities. Additionally, involvement of stakeholders in the entire PRB is crucial toward watersheds conservation for steady flow of hydrological services.