In most of the developing countries, agricultural activities have been practiced under traditional approaches. Majority of the farmers use indigenous knowledge in their farming activities for varying reasons. This study focused on Matengo pits as a traditional climate change adaptation strategy. The main objectives of this paper is to (1) identify the existing traditional agricultural practices, (2) ascertain the trend of climate change (1980- 2021) and (3) evaluate the usefulness of Matengo pits in adapting to climate change. To achieve the research objectives, mixed research approach under descriptive design was used. A total of 133 heads of households were involved in this study. Primary data were collected through questionnaires, structured interviews, focus group discussions and direct observation. Secondary data were collected from published and unpublished documents. The study further used climate data from Tanzania Meteorological Agency on temperature and rainfall variations for the past 41 years (1980-2021). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used to analyze the quantitative data. Simple linear trend analysis was used to establish and test for rainfall and temperature trends. Findings from this study revealed that Matengo pits were among the traditional farming techniques employed in Mbinga district. It was realised that, the area experiences variation in temperatures and rainfall. Results for both minimum and maximum temperature indicate significant increasing trends (P= 0.0032, R2=0.0016; P=0.0101, R2=0.0575). Inversely, archival data from TMA show the decreasing trends of rainfall (P= 0.-04206, R2=0.0007). The findings revealed that the use of Matengo pits contribute positively towards moisture retention, seed germination and amount of yields. The study recommends for adoption of Matengo pits technique in other areas for a sustainable crop production in this era of climate change and variability.
Aims: The study sought to triangulate climate-related place names and quantitative evidence of climate change from meteorological data from 1960 to 2021 so as to establish the extent of climate change in Same District. Triangulating the two was important in ascertaining the strategies developed to adapt to climate change. Study Design: The study deployed a mixed research design which allows for the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods to gain a better understanding of the studied topic. This was important, as the study needed both qualitative and quantitative data. Methodology: Four villages with climate-related names were purposefully selected. In-depth interviews, structured interviews and direct observations were used in collecting primary data from 152 respondents. Meteorological data were collected from the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA). Results: Seven place names associated with wet conditions were found in the villages. The climatic conditions that led to the invention of the names have changed such that if the villages were to be named today, their names would reflect the dry condition found in the villages. These findings were supported by meteorological data, which indicated a significant decrease in rainfall (b = -1.1 and R = 0.1) and increase in maximum and minimum temperature (b = 0.02) and R = 0.4 and 0.5, respectively). Besides, the intensity and frequency of drought has been increasing over time such that currently (1991 to 2021) the area experiences intensive drought every three years, but did so every ten years, from 1960 to 1990. Farmers’ adaptation strategies included growing early maturing crops (EMCs), changing planting dates, growing drought-tolerant crops (DTCs), reducing the number of meals, and migration. However, most of the strategies are ineffective due to rapid climate change. Conclusion: Farmers’ adoption of strategies which can be effective in adapting to the current rapid climate change is important in having sustainable livelihoods. The strategies may include beekeeping and the cultivation of drought-tolerant crops.
The world is facing an unprecedented population increase in coastal areas. This situation is mainly the result of human migration. The population increase has multiplier effects on the environment and development. In Kigamboni Municipality, land-use changes have been witnessed and new expansions, including agricultural, commercial, industrial and urban-related expansions, happen every day. Thus, this study investigates the impact of population growth on the environment and the local people’s livelihoods in Kigamboni. Land-use/land-cover (LULC) changes were quantified using satellite images. In addition, a total of 156 respondents were randomly selected from four sub-wards in the municipality. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire, in-depth interviews, observations and focus group discussions (FGDs). Remote sensing techniques were used to map the spatial and temporal variation of the area between 1995 and 2021 by using a Supervised Classification method in Random Forest Classifier model in R software to generate land-cover types. Seven major LULC categories were identified. The results show that the area under cultivation and the built-up area increased by 40% and 4%, respectively, and that bushlands, forests and grasslands had a declining trend of 34%, 6% and 13%, respectively. The population increase has both positive and negative effects on the local people’s livelihoods, including access to social services, improvement of infrastructure, the availability of markets, the increase in waste, pollution and the increase of the cost of land. The study recommends the formulation of appropriate policies on land-use planning in relation to population dynamics.
This paper investigates the contribution of valley bottom farming systems (vinyungu) on food stability in rural areas of Tanzania. Two villages from Iringa rural district were selected for this study. Primary data were collected using questionnaires which were distributed to 198 respondents, focused group discussions (FGDs), in-depth interviews as well as the researcher’s own observations. Secondary data were obtained from written documents focusing on the research topic. Also, the study used rainfall and temperature data which were obtained from Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA). The annual trends of rainfall and temperature were analyzed via linear trend analysis using a regression equation ‘b’ (y = bx + a). Similarly, the Percentage of Normal Precipitation Index (PNPI) was computed to ascertain years which experienced little and standard rainfall over the past 40 years (1982-2021). The results revealed that vinyungu farming systems play a vital role towards food stability in the study area. Respondents reported to depend on vinyungu crops during dry and other seasons. However, despite of its contribution to food stability, vinyungu farming systems can lead to environmental deterioration if the practice is not well managed. Therefore, capacity building to the communities engaging in such activities is essential for its sustainability.
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