Sustainable Catchment Management through Enhanced Environmental Flow Assessment and Implementation for the Protection of the Western Indian Ocean from Land-based sources and Activities in Tanzania

Background and Justification

Inadequate management of river basins has resulted into degradation of water catchments. Consequently, it has affected river flows in both quantity and quality with devastating impacts on the downstream including the coastal and marine ecosystems through increased inflow of nutrients, sediment deposits, and variation of flow regimes. The operationalization and implementation of Environmental Flow Assessment (EFA) in catchments connected to the Western Indian Ocean and other areas in Tanzania has not been done, mainly due to lack of capacity and resources, lack of awareness on the importance of EFA, lack of stakeholders’ support, institutional roadblocks and conflicts of interest, lack of ecological monitoring systems to evaluate changes in their functioning or status to identify appropriate measures and lack of tools to support proper integration of environmental flow and natural resources management. This project focuses on addressing inadequate management of river catchments and basins which results into changes of river flows, degradation of water quality and changes in sediment loads for provisioning of sustainable environmental flow. The project will assess the environmental flows in the upper catchment of the Mbarali River catchment and pilot the implementation with the involvement of Rufiji Basin Water Board and the beneficiary communities.

 

Main Objective

To reduce impacts/stress from land-based sources and activities and sustainably manage critical coastal-riverine ecosystems through Environmental Flow Assessment and implementation with the support of partnerships a t national and regional levels.

 

Specific Objectives

1. To enhance Capacity for Environmental Flow Assessment and Restoration for Sustainable Water Flows,
2. To conduct Environmental Flow Assessments in pilot river catchments to guide sustainable management of water flows,
3. Implementation of recommended flows for sustainable water resources management

 

Expected Outputs

1.       Report on land-based activities that have impact to river flows produced.

2.       Report on EFA and restoration techniques for water and natural resources managers produced.

3.       Environmental Flow Assessments Reports for Mbarali River produced.

4.       Incentive-based decision support tool/technologies evaluated and guidelines for promoting restoration activities and the implementation of the recommended environmental flows developed.

5.       Capacity building on EFA (Communities, Managers, MSc).

 

Outcome

1. Capacity of water and natural resources managers to conduct EFA and restorations for sustainable river flows in the catchments enhanced.
2. Environmental Flow Assessments in pilot river catchment of Mbarali conducted and used to guide sustainable management of water flows.
3. Improved water resources condition (both quantity and quality), ecological condition and management through implementation of the recommended Eflows.

Sustainability and Replicability

• The project will increase institutional and human resources capacity at the district level and sectoral levels. This will be complimented by capacity building on awareness and technical skills among stakeholders at all levels and promote sharing of best practices among implementers and stakeholders.
• The project will encourage and facilitate full participation of communities, CBOs and NGOs within the catchments /districts, share benefits and observe gender issues / human rights in order to encourage participation and sustainability.