The coordinator of Ruaha Water Programme (RWP), which is implemented by the World Wide Fund (WWF), Mturi James, said there has been a growing risk of conflict among water users due to climate change as it is expected to further shrink the catchments and water sources which are important for sustainability of the Great Ruaha River.
Mturi was speaking during a recent roundtable discussion meeting
aimed at advancing (GRRC) governance, Integration through Climate change adaptation, sectoral collaboration and indigenous knowledge which was held at Makambako township in Njombe Region.
He warned that climate change posed a fundamental threat to the area’s
species and communities which his organization, WWF, and other stakeholders were working together to protect.
“Around the globe, we are feeling the effects of climate change; our
communities and earth’s wildlife and ecosystems are being forever
changed,” he said.
He added that extreme weather events, melting glaciers and rising sea levels, all with links to climate change, were impacting communities and natural resources today.
He said that the far-reaching effects of climate change were evident, noting that oceans were becoming more acidic, water supplies shrinking,
agricultural yields dropping and forests burning.
Mturi noted: “Although today’s climate impacts are serious and must be addressed, without saying still there is time to avoid the most severe consequences of climate change.”
The Rufiji Basin Water Board (RBWB) and WWF - with support from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) - are working together to address the concern.
One of the participants, Adamson Msigalla (74) from Mpando Village
Water User Association (WUA) in Wanging'ombe District, Njombe Region, shared experience on how indigenous knowledge was used to preserve and conserve the environment in 1950s and 1970s.
He said population growth has been part of the many contributing factors to climate change.
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