WWF Tanzania Programme Office Restoring the Flows in the Great Ruaha River Tanzania OCTOBER 2005 George Jambiya
The Ruaha in the Rufiji Basin
Some facts & figures about the Ruaha • The Kilombero & Luwegu form the Rufiji (S & SW) 177,000 km² (~ 20% of TZ); 30% of surface run off • Headwaters in the Kipengere Mountains, descends to the Usangu plains (important for irrigated agriculture and livestock) � Ruaha NP (WCS Landscape mgt) � Mtera dam � Kidatu dam � Kilombero � UMNP � Selous GR � Rufiji Delta � Rufiji-Mafia-Kilwa seascape • GRR catchment area covers about 83,970km2 or 47% of the Rufiji Basin • Dodoma, Singida, Iringa and Mbeya regions pop around 6,326,550 • Livelihoods (90% agriculture; livestock 300,000; fisheries 700 tonnes of fish per annum; etc.)
Facts & figures (cont’d) Billion TSH Irrigated Paddy Cultivated Area 35000 Ha 19.5 Average yield 2.5 tonne/ha Average price 175 Tsh/kg MISSION Marketing/ Proc. 30% mark up Irrig. dry season veg. Cultivated Area 2500 Ha 3.3 Average yield 6 Tonne/Ha Average price 180 Tsh/Ha Marketing/ Proc. 30% mark up Rain fed maize Cultivated Area 65000 Ha 8.8 Average yield 1.5 tonne/Ha Average price 75 Tsh/kg Marketing/ Proc. 20% Livestock Cattle numbers 300,000 4.0 offtake 10% price per animal 60,000 Tsh Marketing/ Proc. 20% mark up Sheep /Goats 10% of cattle Liv. (Mbarali) 200 m Tsh/yr Fisheries Catch per year 700 tonnes 0.3 Average price 200 Tsh/kg Marketing/ Proc. 225% mark up
Biodiversity • Miombo & Acacia woodlands (RNP, UGR, M/KGR). Much lies outside PAs – EMgt. • > 15,000 Elephant, Hippo, Giraffe, Buffalo, G & L Kudu, Roan & Sable antelope, Lion, Wild Dogs - Ruaha N.P. & elsewhere in the catchment. • Permanent & seasonal Wetlands - Important Bird Areas (IBAs) for Tanzania & potential fourth Ramsar Site. ~ 450 species incl. 2 endemic sp. (Ashy Starling & Yellow collared Lovebird). Large aggregations of migratory wetland birds • Montane woodlands of the Kipengere & Livingstone mountains contain several endemic or altitudinally localised plant and animal species
The Issues • Sub-basin with significant water competition - 6 main users of water: irrigation, domestic, livestock, fishers, wildlife + environment, HEP. • Prolonged drying up period of the river in the dry season early 1980s STRATEGY • Contested stakeholder perspectives on causes of drying of Ruaha river: a test case for competing theories on hydrological change • Conflicting & uncertain policy objectives, strategies and criteria to manage water (e.g. MoWLD, MAFS) • In-migration (and increased demand for water)
Priority Issues • Climate change (rainfall not declining over time) • Indirect relationship between wet season irrigation & RNP • Poor relationship between irrigation & HEP needs • Deforestation (in high catchment) • Degradation of wetland ‘sponge effect’ by cattle
Why is the River drying up? • Extension of abstraction for rice > 300 days • Dry season use of surface water to meet domestic needs • Large & small scale dry season crop irrigation influence • Possible changes to Usangu/Ihefu swamp configuration resulting in reduced through flow • Losses in Ifushiro swamp – no Ruaha through flow during dry season; a natural process. • Western wetland replaced by irrigation fields that collectively hold and evaporate water unlike the wetlands which slowly drain through the outlet Source: RIPARWIN
Extension of abstraction in Usangu • Rice grown between 120-150 days • Rice plots in Usangu are irrigated 140 - >300 days • Doing early season mosaic planting • Doing late season cascade plot-to-plot irrigation • Assisted by modernised intakes and water rights that ‘legitimise’ increased abstraction • NAFCO farms have different reasons for water over- use, e.g... meeting domestic needs • Practice encouraged by poor monitoring of water use
The Situation in the field
Impacts on Water, Livelihoods, & Natural Resources • Negative impacts on local livelihoods as a result of reduced water availability downstream and within the main irrigated areas. • Water dependence of tail enders renders them vulnerable to changes • Exclusion of pastoralists from Usangu G.R. for grazing & watering. • Agriculturists - pastoralist conflict in Usangu. • Exclusion of fishermen from Usangu G.R. • Effects on wildlife (breeding, movements, survival and behaviour) • Increased Wildlife/Human conflict • Overall biodiversity loss due to poor Land Use • Future effects on tourism quality and visits to Ruaha N.P.
The different Stories Diverted water Traditional intake
The Stakeholders TANESCO NAFCO VPO-UNDP RESEARCHERS MOWL & RBWO MAFS and ZIO MNRT (WD) Great Ruaha RUBADA TANAPA River NGOs WATER USERS RBMSIIP (WCS, WWF) Friends of Ruaha District councils
WWF’s Goals and Purpose GOAL By 2010 the people of the Great Ruaha River catchment area are planning, managing and utilising their water and related natural resources sustainably. “ Year round flow in the Great Ruaha River restored” PURPOSE Achieving sustainable water resource management in the Great Ruaha river catchment by the support of integrated capacity building and action at catchment, district and community levels
Expected Outputs • An IRBM plan completed and operational in the Great Ruaha River catchment area - beginning to happen • Effective local government and community participation in WRM in line with the Water Policy of 2002 - Roots taking place through Water Users’ Association • Local governments & communities are aware & understand WRM and related environmental issues in the GRR catchment area. They are aware, though may not agree on certain issues • Key WRM issues relating to the decreased flow of the Great Ruaha River addressed whilst providing solutions that contribute to improved livelihoods. Its happening and the number of drying up days has shortened (especially in 2004 which is a dry year)
Are flows being reduced? • The trend shows declining period of zero flow of the Great Ruaha River at Msembe gauging station in the Ruaha National Park • The number of days of zero flow of the river (trend), at Msembe Gauging Station declined from 72 days in 1995 to 20 days in 2004. (The year 2004 was one of the driest year since 2000). • The reduction in zero flow period of the river may be due to improvements in WRM & utilization in the upper catchment .
Additional Successes • Institutionalization of IWRM approaches in all 8 districts within the Great Ruaha Catchment area • Transformation of the Usangu Planning Group into a broader Catchment Coordinating Committee. • From July 2003 to date has seen the formation of 19 Water User Associations. The work with the WUA development remains very strong and is being very successful • Generally accepted that the dry season regulatory water control exercises carried out in the small scale irrigation areas were effective in improving flow into the wetlands • Quality of wildlife diversity & populations in Ruaha is improving. Populations of aquatic animals are better with clear evidence of apparently balanced population structures in Hippo’s previously impacted as a result of the river drying through over concentration. • Communications/stories . Highlighting actions or successes meriting communications attention etc. • Issues have to be tackled at all levels & coordinated, bearing in mind what is doable & affordable.
Challenges • Improved water data collection . Data must be available and documented in order to track & demonstrate impact. • The issues of the level of impact of the livestock on the wetland remain unsettled and inconclusive. • The position on the sale of the large (and potentially thirsty) government farms remains unclear. • The restructuring process in the MWLD for implementing the New Water Strategy is incomplete and thus holds back our collaborative activities. • The development of an IRBM plan is an expensive undertaking, and the transaction costs are high - and the resources for doing this are inadequate. • Policy & Political statements can be confusing but important & have to be engaged – Prime Minister Sumaye: “Ruaha to return to year-round flow by 2010”. – Prime Minister Sumaye: “boost food production using dry season water” – The local politicians declarations in the light of the upcoming elections
THANK YOU
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