Browsing by Author "Said, Mateso"

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Evaluation and prediction of the impacts of land cover changes on hydrological processes in data constrained southern slopes of Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
(MDPI, 2021) Said, Mateso; Hyandye, Canute; Mjemah, Ibrahimu Chikira; Komakech, Hans Charles; Munishi, Linus Kasian
This study provides a detailed assessment of land cover (LC) changes on the water balance components on data constrained Kikafu-Weruweru-Karanga (KWK) watershed, using the integrated approaches of hydrologic modeling and partial least squares regression (PLSR). The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model was validated and used to simulate hydrologic responses of water balance components response to changes in LC in spatial and temporal scale. PLSR was further used to assess the influence of individual LC classes on hydrologic components. PLSR results revealed that expansion in cultivation land and built-up area are the main attributes in the changes in water yield, surface runoff, evapotranspiration (ET), and groundwater flow. The study findings suggest that improving the vegetation cover on the hillside and abandoned land area could help to reduce the direct surface runoff in the KWK watershed, thus, reducing flooding recurring in the area, and that with the ongoing expansion in agricultural land and built-up areas, there will be profound negative impacts in the water balance of the watershed in the near future (2030). This study provides a forecast of the future hydrological parameters in the study area based on changes in land cover if the current land cover changes go unattended. This study provides useful information for the advancement of our policies and practices essential for sustainable water management planning
Hydrogeochemical analysis of water quality dynamics under anthropic activities on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
(The Tunisian Chemical Society and Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2022) Said, Mateso; Komakech, Hans Charles; Mjemah, Ibrahimu Chikira; Lufingo, Mesia; Munishi, Linus Kasian; Kumar, Sudhir
Water quality management requires consideration of surface water and groundwater dynamics. This study utilizes hydrogeochemical and isotopic techniques to understand anthropic influences on surface and groundwater resources in the Kikafu– Weruweru–Karanga (KWK) watershed southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. The KWK watershed had two distinct characteristics, i.e., the upper region (above 1000 m.a.m.s.l) with surface water and few groundwater features and the lower part (below 1000 m.a.m.s.l) characterized by most groundwater sources and rivers. Water sampling and analysis were done between July and August 2019; multivariate statistical analysis aided the understanding of analytical findings. The results revealed NaHCO3 enrichment and Mixed CaNaHCO3 water type. The groundwater chemistry is chiefly controlled by aquifer lithology rather than anthropic activities. Stable isotopes show recharge from both regional and local rainfall as traced from the shallow wells. The levels of anthropic pollution indicators such as nitrate, chloride, and sulfate in deep wells are generally low in groundwater than in shallow wells. Anthropic activities such as irrigation, wastewater discharges and severe water abstraction confirmed significant contaminant agents at the dynamic levels. Next to geogenic releases, anthropic pollution as well is affecting groundwater quality in the aquifer. The current findings call for improved monitoring of the groundwater sources to track any changes in quality since there is a potential evolution to an undesirable state for domestic uses.
Predicting land use/cover changes and its association to agricultural production on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
(Taylor & Francis Group, 2021) Said, Mateso; Hyandye, Canute; Komakech, Hans C.; Mjemah, Ibrahimu C.; Munishi, Linus K.
Increasing demand for food production results in Land use and land cover (LULC) changes, which afflicts the provision of ecosystem services in high mountain areas. This work used time-series LULC and selected spatial metrics to predict the LULC changes for Kikafu-Weruweru-Karanga (KWK) watershed (on the southern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro) for the next decade. LULC maps were generated by classifying time-series satellite images. We further predicted the implications for selected staple crop production over the next decade. The simulated LULC shows expansion in built-up (by 32.55%/27.04 km2) and agriculture (by 39.52%/52.0 km2) areas from 2018 to 2030. These results suggest that urbanization is likely the next biggest threat to water availability and food production. Grasslands and wetlands are expected to decrease by 57.24% and 39.29%, respectively. The forest area is likely to shrink by 6.37%, about 9.82 km2, and 1.26 km2 being converted to agriculture and built-up areas, respectively. However, expansion in agricultural land shows very little increase in staple food crop production records, suggesting that farm size plays a minor role in increasing crop production. Predicting the near future LULC around KWK is useful for evaluating the likelihood of achieving development and conservation targets that are set locally, nationally and internationally.