Groundwater use in Climate Change adaptation in Moshi district, Tanzania

Abstract

The paper assesses the usability of groundwater in climate change adaptation in Moshi rural district, Tanzania. It examines how groundwater is used as a climate change adaptation strategy as well as the strategy for boosting other adaptation strategies. Data for the study were gathered from five major sources; these include field observation, interviews, household questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGDs). It also reviewed various literature including weather-recorded data. The study found that groundwater is unsurpassed climate change adaptation in the area and it enhances other adaptation mechanisms like planting trees and irrigation. The use of groundwater has thrived to diminish water shortage in the area as a result it helps to increase water for domestic and sanitation usage. It also boosted water use range per person per day and decreased the distances walked by persons in obtaining domestic water. Despite these advantages, groundwater is neglected and less preferred in government planning, a snag that leads to poor groundwater usage and conservation. This paper concludes that, groundwater is among the best climate change options in Moshi rural district as it helped to cover water shortage between rainfall seasons in the area since the area was semi-arid. It provided daily water supply in the area for both agriculture and domestic use hence supporting people’s livelihood. Therefore, this paper recommends more research on contributions made by groundwater in climate change adaptation in semi arid regions in Tanzania. This will generate knowledge that can be used by planners in climate change adaptation since groundwater can help to evacuate people’s livelihood from climate change vulnerability.