Knowledge assessment on the effects of climate change due to keeping livestock in urban and peri-urban areas of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

This paper discusses assessment results of the respondents who kept livestock in urban and periurban areas in the three municipalities of Kinondoni, Ilala, and Temeke in Dar es Salaam city region, if they had knowledge that their activities had an effect on climate change. Data show that over two thirds of the respondents did not think that the presence of solid waste, liquid waste, and pollution resulting from keeping livestock would have an effect on climate risks in the future. However, the respondents thought that presence of chemical pollution and land degradation due to keeping livestock in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) would have an effect on climate change. Furthermore, the article stipulates actions that urban livestock keepers would take in the future for mitigating climate risks. In addition, the respondents in UPA thought that people keeping livestock would in the future incur additional costs because of climate risks. The respondents indicated that most livestock types kept in UPA would be vulnerable and sensitive to climate risks and proposed adaptation options to take in the future. It is paramount that time has come for the three Dar es Salaam municipalities of Kinondoni, Ilala and Temeke through their relevant departments (agriculture and livestock, health, planning, community development), among other things, to educate livestock owners on climate risks due to livestock keeping and how to lessen them in the future. Other municipalities in Tanzania and elsewhere could use these results.

Mitigation and Adaptation Measures of Peri-Urban Farmers as a Response to Climate Change in Temeke District, Dar es Salaam Region

“…Rainfall is segmented into long rains and short rains. The long rains start from mid of March to the end of May while short rains start from mid October to late December (Mlozi et al, 2013). Nonetheless, there are empirical evidences revealing the decline in rainfall in both seasons in the whole of Dar es Salaam Region where the study area is found (START, 2011).…”

“…Despite that, PUF is affected by the incidences of the rising temperature, decreasing the amount of rainfall and the prevalence of droughts (Shretha and Sada, 2013). Urban farming particularly livestock sector is also vulnerable from the decrease in rain cycles especially in Dar es Salaam Region (Mlozi et al, 2013). Agricultural production in urban and peri-urban areas depends on cheap water and cheap energy for nitrogen based fertilizers and agricultural processes all of which contribute to climate change (Havaligi, 2009).…”

“…Another attempt indicated that livestock keepers of urban and peri-urban areas in the Region were vulnerable to climate change consequences and they were planning to implement adaptation strategies (Mlozi et al, 2013). Debate which has partially focused on peri-urban farmers addressed climate change adaptation on coastal Dar es Salaam (Kassenga and Mbuligwe, 2013).…”

“…In connection to the aforementioned evidences, peri-urban areas have unique local conditions as opposed to other areas including rural, urban and semi arid areas. Besides that, peri-urban farmers are vulnerable from climate change (Mlozi et al, 2013;Lunyelele et al, 2016) despite the fact that empirical information on appropriate responses remains scanty. Therefore, the paucity of information on how peri-urban farmers react on climate change have triggered the need to explore mitigation and adaptation measures used in the study area.…”

“…Despite the fact that, peri-urban settings are likely to accelerate consequences of climate change due to a growing demand of the land resources that does not match with the available land size, yet the threat of climate change on peri-urban settings has not been given much attention in developing countries including Tanzania. While it is crucial to understand dynamics of supply and demand of the land resource and the consequences of climate change in the settings of peri-urban, unfortunately, the mitigation and adaptation initiatives undertaken by peri-urban farmers are not well known (Mlozi et al, 2013;Kashaigili et al, 2014).…”