Successful small-scale irrigation or environmental destruction? The political ecology of competing claims on water in the Uluguru Mountains,Tanzania

Abstract

In the Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania, an expansion in informal hosepipe irrigation by small-scale farmers has enabled the development of horticulture, and resulted in improvements in farmers' livelihoods. This has largely taken place independently of external support, and can be seen as an example of the 'private' irrigation that is increasingly viewed as important for sub-Saharan Africa. However, these activities are seen by representatives of government and some donors as the cause of environmental degradation and water shortages downstream, especially in the nearby city of Morogoro. As a result, there have been attempts to evict the farmers from the mountain. Negative narratives persist and the farmers on the mountainside are portrayed as a problem to be 'solved.' This article explores these tensions, contributing to debates about the formalization of water management arrangements and the place of the state in regulating and adjudicating rights to access water. We argue that a focus on legality and formalization serves to obscure the political nature of competing claims on resources that the case illustrates. Keywords: irrigation; Tanzania; ethnography; political ecology; water RésuméDans les montagnes Uluguru de Tanzanie, une expansion dans l'irrigation de tuyau d'arrosage informel par des petits cultivateurs a permis le développement de l'horticulture, et a donné lieu à l'amélioration des moyens de subsistance des agriculteurs. Cela a eu lieu en grande partie indépendamment de soutien extérieur et peut être considérée comme un exemple de l'irrigation « privé » qui est de plus en plus perçue comme importantes pour l'Afrique subsaharienne. Toutefois, ces activités sont considérées par les deux représentants du gouvernement et des bailleurs de fonds, comme la cause de dégradation de l'environnement et de pénuries d'eau en aval, notamment dans la ville voisine de Morogoro. En conséquence, il y a eu des tentatives d'expulser les cultivateurs de la montagne. Les discours négatifs persistent, et les agriculteurs sur le flanc de la montagne sont dépeints comme un problème soit « résolu ». Cet article explore ces tensions, contribuer aux débats sur la formalisation des modalités de gestion de l'eau et la place de l'État dans la régulation et la sanction des droits d'accès à l'eau. Nous soutenons que mettant l'accent sur la légalité et la formalisation sert à masquer la nature politique de réclamations concurrentes sur les ressources qui illustre le cas. Mots-clés: irrigation; la Tanzanie; ethnographie; écologie politique; l'eau ResumenEn las montañas Uluguru de Tanzania, la expansión del riego informal de mangueras por parte de pequeños agricultores ha permitido el desarrollo de la horticultura y ha dado como resultado mejoras en los medios de Harrison and MdeeSmall scale irrigation or environmental destruction in Tanzania? Journal of Political EcologyVol.24, 2017 407 subsistencia de los agricultores. Esto ha ocurrido en gran medida independientemente del apoyo externo y puede ser visto como un ejemplo del ...

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