The Impacts of Climate Change on Food Security and Community Base Adaptation options: The Case of Magu District in Mwanza, Tanzania
This study assessed the impacts of climate change/variability on food security and documents community based adaptations. Three villages were selected representing three agro-ecological zones highlands, middle and lower lands. In each village, sample size of 5 percent of households was systematically selected. Both secondary and primary data were used. Rainfall anomalies were used to characterize wet and dry seasons, whilst mean annual maximum and mean minimum temperatures were used to establish the fluctuations in temperature. Findings indicated that both data from TMA and local people perceived changes in rainfall and temperature. The changes have affected crops and livestock in a number of ways resulting in reduced productivity. Empirical analysis of rainfall suggest decreasing rainfall trend between 1960 and 2009 whereas mean maximum and minimum temperature increased by 1.1 and 0.2°C respectively. Findings revealed that 82% of respondent’s perceived rainfall pattern is decreasing in the past 30 years; 86% voted temperature pattern is increasing in the same period 90% appealed the occurrence of mosquitoes as human disease vector and armyworm to increase during extreme wet weather. There are different wealth groups namely the Better off, the middle as well as resource weak and these are vulnerable and adapted differently to climate change. Awareness on various adaptation options should be conducted to enhance community resilience and sustainable development. Further research should focus on water harvesting technologies, regulation of rivers flows and use of the underground water for irrigation works so as to achieve sustainable food production and livelihood security.
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