Vulnerability and resilience of dry land irrigation farming schemes against climate change: A case of Ruvuma Basin, South Eastern Tanzania

Abstract

Dry land irrigation farming practises has remained critically important in supplementing nation’s food security during dry season and household income for many rural farmers as well as poverty reduction and other various indirect benefits (employment and economic growth). Despite successful stories in the dry land irrigation farming schemes in South Eastern, Tanzania; the sector has been facing many challenges including the effects of climate variability. Therefore, understanding how the vulnerable and resilience dry land irrigation farming is to the adverse effects of climate change impacts, is critical for reducing vulnerability and enhance adaptive capacity of irrigation farmers. In particular, this thesis examine how irrigation farming schemes are exposed to the adverse effects of climate change variability and how irrigation farmers are responding, adapting and coping with the ongoing changes so to enhance food security, socio-economic development and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change impacts. Other factors making irrigation farming sensitive to climate change impacts and different livelihood diversification options used as coping strategies have been addressed as well. A mixed-method approach, involving qualitative and quantitative methodology for data collection, was adopted. In this study, main techniques for primary data collection were questionnaire survey, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation in the field. A sample of 187 irrigation farmers and 5 key informants and 24 people participated in focus-group discussions making a total of 216 individuals. Secondary data were obtained through documentary review and data were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Secondary data analysis shows a decreasing trend of rainfalls with unpredictable pattern while temperature data indicates an increasing trend. Findings from respondents and interviews indicate that the dry land irrigation farming schemes are exposed to climate variability in terms of increasing extreme temperature, inconsistency periods of dry spells and strong winds which cause excessive evaporation and crop wilting. The majority of the farmers revealed that the farming scheme is very sensitive due to increased crop wilting and decreased soil moisture (extreme temperature) and unfertile soil due to water stagnation (heavy rainfall) and salt accumulation (excessive evaporation). As the dry land farming schemes become more vulnerable to climate change so do farmers respond and adapt to these changes. Irrigation farmers have also been changing their farming practices overtime through soil and water conservation practices, planting crop varieties to withstand drought condition; changing cropping pattern and engaging in various socio-economic activities to diversify their income sources. Interventions options such as water harvesting technology, farm skills training, improved farming, ready market for fresh produce, and agricultural subsidies are recommendable to both stakeholders for the improved and sustained dry land irrigation farming schemes so as to enhance food security and income of farmers as well as socio-economic development.