Water Conflict in Tanzania: Pangani River Basin - Research Paper Example

Water Conflict in Tanzania: Pangani River Basin al affiliation: A vicious circle occurs when a fundamental issue, which requires a solution, but the answer to the initial dilemma can aggravate further unwanted issues, resulting in the worsening of the initial problem. In this case, an environmental issue can hinder economic, political, and even social factors within a developing country. Notably, the water conflict occurring in Tanzania has created somewhat of a domino effect. The Pangani basin plays a significant role in providing water for civilians within this developing country. Unfortunately, climate change has had a negative impact on the basin, and the effects will only worsen overtime. Furthermore, the water is not being properly allocated and is gradually becoming a scarce resource. The paper is a discussion of the various conflicts existing in Pangani River Basin Environmental conflicts The earths summit of 1992 forged a sustainability platform for responsible development among United Nations. Tanzania being a member has initiated various strategies and policies aimed at enhancing environmental protection. Nevertheless, despite the sprawling initiatives climate change remains an emerging trend in the country. Global warming and the lack of precipitation has greatly affected environmental factors within Tanzania. Munishi states, "Environmental destruction is another major source of environmental stress" (Munishi & Sawere, 2014, p.64). Farmers turn to slash and burn farming for temporary relief from poverty. Trees are destroyed and cleared for harvesting and used for cooking fuel. Also the mass destruction of trees are used to plant crops and utilized to serve agricultural purposes. This process of environmental destruction and deforestation contribute to the diminishing source of fresh water within the Pangani Basin. In addition, further deforestation and climate change will impact existing animal habitats and ecosystems. Animals will have to adapt to these gradual environmental changes and ultimately new species will evolve. Furthermore, its mentioned that Carbon Dioxide will likely double within the atmosphere, wiping out all subtropical woodlands (Munishi & Sawere, 2014). In essence, the changes have threatened the existence of Pangani river factor raising many questions. Water conservation is a primary initiative of any organization. Water catchment areas for Pangani basin have raised many conflicts not only for national parks but also for Mount Kilimanjaro and Meru forest reserves. Many farmers want to use the conservation areas for fuel gathering and tourism. On the other hand, pastoralists wish is to indulge into the protected areas for grazing purposes. It is apparent that environmental factors such as lack of rain fall and global warming has caused water resource to diminish in the Pangani basin, resulting in further environmental setbacks. The concept of vicious circle comes into play when all these environmental, economic, political, and social factors are considered. These environmental dilemmas further create economic issues by hindering the growth of crops, resulting in the poor nutrition of livestock (Kironde & Suleiman, 2000). Economic issues coincide with political issues. Depending on the intensity of the economic dilemma, proper political and governmental enforcement is taken to alleviate further damage. In this case, the Tanzanian governments attempt to allocate and manage water resources appropriately and how that resonates with the communities, serves as potential political effect. Economic conflicts Despite spreading to over 48,000 square kilometres, the Pangani River Basin is already under stress. The international Union of Conservation estimates that over 3.4 million people rely on the basin forcing a drastic drop in the ecosystem. According to the Tanzania Meteorological Agency, rainfall has drastically dropped in the area for the past 10 years. For instance, an area that received over 990 mm of rainfall is currently recording half. Despite the drop, population growth is at its peak, a factor raising more questions on the sustainability of the river for the different functions (UCN, 2003). Indeed, this pressure has introduced conflicts for water and other limited resources within the river basin system. A majority of civilians are economically dependent on the Pangani basin for fresh water. Its stated that, " The agricultural sector is the leading sector of the economy of Tanzania and accounts for over half of the gross domestic product (GDP) and export earnings and the livelihood of more than 80% of the population that lives in rural areas depends on agriculture" (Munishi & Sawere, 2014, p.63). Since a large amount of civilians depends on farming as a source of income, water is an essential resource in harvesting cash crops. In addition, lack of rainfall and scarcity of water prevent farmers from properly nourishing their livestock. Continuous use of water from the basin provides temporary economic relief for farmers and migrant workers in Tanzania, but further damages environmental situations. In addition, population growth is another economic factor that contributes to water scarcity, since there is an increase in demand for fresh water from the basin. Both small and large-scale farmers rely on Pangani river basin for livelihood. According to the Pangani Basin Water office, over 80 percent of land in the upper part remains covered by furrow irrigation schemes. Historically, the type of irrigation systems remained settled in the highlands, however, the trend has since changed to lower areas due to migration. Interestingly, farming methods have not changed leading to wastage and misappropriation. Evidently, this mismatch has introduced a series of conflicts, as small farmers demand more resources while relying on inefficient methods. Additionally, Tanganyika Electric Supply Company has also sparked a series of conflicts in the Pangani river basin. The company has been responsible for electric generation and transmission to other areas for a number of years. Despite the prominence and positive media outlook, the institution has generated a many conflicts in the Pangani river basin. Installation of three power stations in River Pangani attracted many workers and fishing communities. The migration shifted demand for water as people wanted to practice agriculture while electricity production also remained a prime activity. The mismatching interest triggered a conflict with each party pushing for the vested agenda. Social conflicts Pangani River Basin has attracted many donors with various interests. The mixture has literally brought confusion within the communities who are not aware of the right decisions for the basin. Notably, expatriates run many donor agencies from different countries. Certainly, this has initiated a cutthroat competition for the limited resources. Some of the agencies present in the basin include UNDP, JICA, GTZ, and the International Labor Organization (UCN, 2003). Despite the conflicts, the agencies are involved in a number of rehabilitation activities ranging from soil conservation to improvement of water conservation. A lot of donor agencies such as World Bank, United Nations, Food and Agricultural Organization try to alleviate issues within the region by promoting soil conservation and attempting to improve water management but end up creating a lot of animosity within communities because they ultimately compete for the same resources. Instead of aiding the developing country, they further add to the existing issue (Mbonile, 2005). Political issues begin to occur when governmental efforts and attempts of managing water resources are refused or rejected because these existing communities around the basin believe that water is a natural "gift from god," therefore should not be paid for (Ngereza, 2005). Aside from the constant struggle between large-scale and small-scale farmers over water resources, theres a high demand for water as an everyday social necessity. Its mentioned that, "the basin also contributes to living needs such as cooking, drinking water, washing and sanitation as well as generating electricity for hydropower" (Ngereza, 2005, p. 110). Clearly, there is this high demand for fresh water for daily practices and a lack of water resource to go around. This constant practice of overconsumption is essentially eating away at a primary but scarce resource within Tanzania. A main social factor that affects the lifestyle of Tanzanian civilians is accessibility to the Pangani basin. Some villagers have the convenience of living close to a water source while poorer village communities are forced to travel lengthy distances to gain access to a water source. Additionally, many villagers are obligated to wake up early to fetch water for recreational purposes and even then, more than half of civilians walk away empty handed, due to there not being enough water in the well (Munishi & Sawere, 2014). Political conflicts The Ministry of water initiated a new National Water Policy in 2002 that recognized the important connection between productive livelihood and environment. In the report, water as a basic human need has priority, followed by water for the ecosystem. The Tanzanian Government requires implementation of the policy document for all rivers and water bodies. Pangani Basin board got established under the Water Resources management Act No. 2009. Its main purpose was to integrate and formulate a comprehensive as well as holistic plan for the river basin, which has since changed the community outlook (Mbonile, 2005). Maintaining the natural equilibrium of Pangani River has remained a daunting task according to the board. It has continually shifted because of climate change reducing its speed from several hundreds to below 40 cubic meters. This reduction accosted with a subsequent increase in conflicts. As art of their mandate, the board introduced a series of plans aimed at not only protecting the current state but also promising a god future. Notably, this included the introduction of a land tenure system that gives people the right to manage and be responsible for various resources (Mbonile, 2001). In accordance with the policy, many locals and other small users have vehemently turned down the offer. They are not capaciated to pay for the water rights arguing that it is a, "gift of God". In essence, the communities have rejected governments effort to manage water resources for argument that the policies do not favor their beliefs. Because of this, political conflicts have dominated management of the Pangani river basin. Conceivably, TANESCO pays royalty of 95 MW to the Ministry of Water and Livestock Development assuming a 45 cubic meters per second, which has since dropped to 15 cubic meters (Huggins, 2000). Certainly, this has affected the production hence leading emergency actions such as salt-water intrusions 20 kilometer upstream. The introduction has immensely affected human use of the water hence leading rejection of various plans proposed by the Pangani Water Basin Office (PBWO). For instance, the recent irrigation measures proposed by the management board received criticism and rejection even before reaching implementation stage. From this perspective, the government through PBWO has brought on board a series of programs beneficial to the basin; however, consistent conflicts make the plans ineligible. It is vital to note that villages in Tanzania find prominence in the law and power of the resources within the boundaries. Nevertheless, the past community system has led to losses and mismanagement of resources hence erosion of traditional water management expertise. In as much as the traditional systems play a key role in enhancing growth and protection of culture, introduction of the national government intrigued a series of conflicts. Traditionally, clan systems had their area of jurisdiction, however, this changed with the introduction of government systems aimed at improving systems (IUCN Eastern Africa Programme, 2003). According to the Basin Water Office, the Pangani resources do not require the myopic level management but rather a high-level organization for a prosperous future. It no longer requires customary laws but political and legal systems that ensure irrigation schemes remain in the right tack while other activities such as power generation observe the legal and ethical requirements (Mkhandi & Mtalo, 2002). In this light, a conflict between communities wish to manage is greatly affecting smooth operations. Lastly, all these issues play a significant role in the construct of social issues within Tanzania such Tanzanian class systems and various scales of farmers as well as how the lack of water affected the lifestyles of civilians. Suggestions and challenges Successful management of all environment resources requires an integration of environmental, economic, social, and most importantly, the political aspects. Any strategy or strategy devoid of one aspect is tantamount to failure despite presenting a glowing future. According to Professor Pius Yanda from the University of Dar es Salaam who sits in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an estimate rise of temperature with apparent decrease in rainfall is inevitable at the end of the century. From this perspective, rivers are likely to lose the old glory and instead turn into other things. It, therefore, is important to do various things necessary for not only the present but also future changes (IUCN Eastern Africa Programme, 2003). All the conflict resolution techniques in Pangani River Basin must meet and suit the intended target. Evidently, this is because a poorly conflict mitigation strategy is likely to attract more problems instead of protecting the natural resource in the verge of extinction due to competition. Certainly, a number of customary regulations exists to check exploitation of the river resources. These laws have traditionally routed protection techniques; however, the contemporary regulations have favors exploitation rather than protection. As a result, it is inevitable to ignore the customary regulations and instead focus on how the modern inventions can fit into the traditional systems. Most communities reject the concept that water is a property of the state. As a matter of fact, the economic belief has initiated industrial exploitation, a factor reducing cooperation instead of harmonized protection. Therefore, no regulatory framework needs to be formulated without proper consultation of all the stakeholders. State interference and commercialization of Pangani Basin resources is a key problem in the area. In resolving these conflicts, traditional legislations should not be overlooked for modern legislations. Because of the economic stretch, rich farmers need to source for water from other means or encourage the use of other energy sources. TENESCO should realize the existence of other users before it started operation. It should also initiate a series of conservation techniques, which include all stakeholders for not only the short but also long term benefits (Kalwani, 2001). Conflict between agriculture and pastoralists is likely to persist if migration is not controlled. It, therefore, is important to resolve migration issues to ensure inflow of people is kept in check. It is also important to recognize efficacy issues responsible for instituting traditional systems. Notably, this can help in managing water through the hydrological and not the administrative boundaries, which appears to be changing the face of Pangani River Basin. National and political interest is important for designing the future of the basin. A dialogue process is necessary to create an understanding in allocating and managing resources (Mjwahuzi, 2001). It is also important to devolve decision making to lower levels, improve the dialogue process while at the same time encouraging willingness to negotiate for equitable solutions. Last but importantly, it is also vital to build the capacity of local institutions and the over 500 water users in the region. Overall, the entire concept of "vicious circle" intertwines with the Tanzanian water conflict. As explained in the essay, there is a high demand for fresh water in Tanzania but a lack of water resource available. The lack of fresh water serves as the root cause of further economic, environmental, social, and political issues. Simple solutions will only offer temporary relief for one or two of these factors, while simultaneously worsening the primary issue. When viewing the Tanzanian water conflict, proper environmental policy needs to be addressed and allocated in order to prevent this environmental issue from worsening. Ultimately, the environmental policy applied needs to be both appropriate and attainable. References Huggins, C. (2000). Rural water tenure in East Africa: A comparative study of legal regimes and community responses to changing tenure patterns in Tanzania and Kenya. Nairobi, Kenya: African Centre for Technology Studies. IUCN Eastern Africa Programme. (2003). Pangani basin: A situation analysis. Nairobi, Kenya: IUCN-The World Conservation Union. Available online at http://www.iucn.org/themes/wani/pub/SituationPangani.pdf Kalwani, J. (2001). Rapid urbanization and the environment: A case study of Moshi Municipality. Tanzanian Journal of Population Studies and Development 8 (1& 2), 11-26 Kironde, J.M.L., & Suleiman N. (2000). Urbanizing Tanzania: Issues, initiatives and priori-ties. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Dar es Salaam University Press. Komakech, H., Koppen, B. V., Mahoo, H., & Zaag, P. V. (2011). Pangani River Basin over time and space: On the interface of local and basin level responses. Agricultural Water Management, 98(11), 1740-1751. doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2010.06.011 Maganga, F., Kiwasila, H., Juma I. & Butterworth J., (2004). Implications of customary and laws for implementing IWRM. Finding from Pangani and Rufiji basins, Tanzania, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 29 (1335-1342) Mbonile, M. J. (2001). Rural population mobility in the Pangani basin, Tanzania. In J.O. Ngana(Ed.), Water resources management in the Pangani basin: Challenges and opportunities (pages 14-27). Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: University of Dar esSalaam Press. Mbonile, M. J. (2005). Migration and intensification of water conflicts in the Pangani basin, Tanzania. Habitat International 29, 41-67. Mbonile, M. (2005). Population, Migration, and Water Conflicts in the Pangani River Basin, Tanzania. Retrieved from http://http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/Mbonile12.pdf     Mbonile, M. J. (2005). Migration and intensification of water conflicts in the Pangani Basin, Tanzania. Habitat International, 29(1), 41-67. doi:10.1016/S0197-3975(03)00061-4 Mjwahuzi M.R. (2001): Water conflicts and Water Resources in the Pangani River Basin Challenges and Opportunities. Workshop Proceedings Edited by J.O. Ngana. Chapter 2, pp. 14-27. Mkhandi, S.H. & Mtalo, F. (2002): Assessment of Irrigation Impact on the Water Resources of Pangani River Basin. 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