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Wetlands Biodiversity, Livelihoods and Climate Change Implications in the Ruaha River Basin, Tanzania

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Book cover Innovation in Climate Change Adaptation

Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

Abstract

Wetland ecosystems in Tanzania contribute significantly to livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. These ecosystems are vulnerable to both human and climate change induced impacts though the implication of climate change on these ecosystems is poorly known. We assessed a wide range of wetlands in the Ruaha River basin to quantify their biodiversity, livelihoods and potential climate change impacts. It was observed that biodiversity of wetlands is much higher than that in adjacent habitats. Wetlands are refuge for endangered plant species making them important in biodiversity conservation. Wetland cultivation and fisheries contributed over 40 % of the total household income and food. Over 90 % of the dry season agriculture is wetland dependent forming the major livelihood source for majority in the basin. The most visible climate change impacts on the wetlands of Ruaha are reduced water flows, drying of wetlands and degradation of their ecological functions. With climate change, water flows in the Ruaha have decreased by 10 % causing substantial reduction in extent of wetlands in the basin. Adapting the wetlands to climate change require evaluation of current and future climate vulnerability of wetland ecosystems and related livelihoods. This information is important in informing policies, adaptation and mitigation strategies for wetland ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge financial support from the Royal Norwegian Government through the Project NUFU-TZ 2007/10229 without which this study would have been impossible. Thanks to Sokoine University of Agriculture for institutional support in undertaking the NUFU Project and this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Biology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, 3010, Morogoro, Tanzania

    Pantaleo K. T. Munishi

  2. Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Open University of Tanzania, 23409, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Halima Kilungu

  3. Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, 9192, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Nice Wilfred & Bernadetha Munishi

  4. Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, 1432, Aås, Norway

    Stein R. Moe

Authors
  1. Pantaleo K. T. Munishi
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  2. Halima Kilungu
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  3. Nice Wilfred
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  4. Bernadetha Munishi
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  5. Stein R. Moe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pantaleo K. T. Munishi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

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Munishi, P.K.T., Kilungu, H., Wilfred, N., Munishi, B., Moe, S.R. (2016). Wetlands Biodiversity, Livelihoods and Climate Change Implications in the Ruaha River Basin, Tanzania. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Innovation in Climate Change Adaptation. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25814-0_23

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