Influence of water access for livestock on pastoralists household income in semi-arid areas of Monduli district in Tanzania

Abstract

Access to water is arguably the most crucial, yet underappreciated determinant of household income for pastoralist households in semiarid regions. This study examined the influence of water access for livestock on pastoralists’ household income in the semi-arid areas of Monduli District in Tanzania. The study employed a cross-sectional research design, in which primary data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire from 367 randomly selected households. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20, whereby both descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) were determined. A multinomial logistic regression model was applied to examine the influence of water access to livestock on the household income of pastoralists. The findings indicate that household size (p=0.001) and levels of water access for livestock, namely medium (p=0.000) and high (p=0.006), influenced pastoralists’ household income, while maintaining a low level of water access for livestock as the reference category. The study concluded that the higher the level of water access for livestock, the higher is the household income. This study recommends that the Government of Tanzania and the Monduli District Council establish programs to boost pastoralist income by improving communal access to livestock water sources.