Tracking Effective Indigenous Adaptation
Strategies on Impacts of Climate Variability
on Food Security and Health ofSubsistence Farmers in Tanzania
African Technology Policy Studies Network

TECHNOPOLICY BRIEF | No. 31
Riziki Silas ShemdoeTracking Effective Indigenous Adaptation
Strategies on Impacts of Climate Variability onFood Security and Health of Subsistence
Farmers in Tanzania

Riziki Silas Shemdoe (Ph.D)
Ardhi University,
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, private sector actors andpolicy makers promoting the generation, dissemination, use andmastery of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) for African
development, environmental sustainability and global inclusion.
ATPS intends to achieve its mandate through research, capacity
building and training, science communication/dissemination andsensitization, participatory multi-stakeholder dialogue,knowledge brokerage, and policy advocacy.
Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network
P O Box 10081, 00100 GPO Nairobi Kenya
2011

Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network

ISBN: 978-9966-030-21-4

Table of Contents
Acknowledgement

41.

Introduction

52.

Key Issues Based on the Policy Questions

53.

Conclusions and policy options

7

Tracking Effective Indigenous Adaptation Strategies on Impacts of Climate Variability on Food Security and Health of Subsistence Farmers in Tanzania | 3

Acknowledgement
This study was conducted as part of the implementation of the African
Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) Phase VI Strategic Plan, 2008 – 2012
funded by ATPS Donors including the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken (DGIS)
the Netherlands, Rockefeller Foundation, amongst others. The authors hereby
thank the ATPS for the financial and technical support during the implementationof the study. The Authors specially thank the ATPS Climate Sense Program
Director, Dr. Kevin Urama (ATPS); and the Program Coordinators including Prof.
Francis Mutua (ATPS Kenya); Dr. George Owusu Essegbey (ATPS Ghana), Prof.
Eric Eboh (ATPS Nigeria), Dr. Nicholas Ozor (ATPS), and Ms. Wairimu Mwangi(ATPS) for their technical support during the research process.

4 | Tracking Effective Indigenous Adaptation Strategies on Impacts of Climate Variability on Food Security and Health of Subsistence Farmers in Tanzania

1.

Introduction

This brief addresses a number of policy related questions regarding effectivenessof indigenous adaptation strategies on impacts of climate variability on foodsecurity and health of subsistence farmers in Tanzania. The policy issues that areaddressed in this brief include:> Climate change and copping strategies by communities in selected areas ofTanzania> Copping strategies to the impacts of climate variability;> Behavioral changes towards climate change adaptation measures atindividual and institutional levels in the country;> Capacity building to the communities on climate change issues andinformation> Effects of climate change on food security;> Effects of climate change on human health and livestock2.

Key Issues Based on the Policy Questions

2.1 Climate change and copping strategies by communities in thecase study areas
Unpredictable rainfall patterns and amount as well as extended droughts havebeen referred to as the main indication of climate change in Mpwapwa andLushoto districts. All respondents interviewed in this study agreed that climatechange is a reality in their areas. Several indicators of climate change in the two
agro-ecological zones reported by communities include prolonged drought,
unpredictable rainfall, changed pattern of rainfall, food shortage, poor pastureregeneration, and human and animal emerging diseases. Drought found to be
the most identified indicator linked to climate change in both districts.
2.2 Copping strategies to the impacts of climate variability inthe case study areas
In these two districts where research was conducted, as a way to counteract
impacts caused by climate variability and climate change, local communities
have developed strategies to sustain their living. Such measures include
traditional terracing (matuta), destocking, tree planting, traditional foodpreservation methods, drilling traditional wells, construction of locally based
water reservoirs (Nkunisa), mixed cropping and crop diversification.
Tracking Effective Indigenous Adaptation Strategies on Impacts of Climate Variability on Food Security and Health of Subsistence Farmers in Tanzania | 5

2.3 Behavioral changes towards climate change adaptation
measures at individual and institutional levels in the study area
Climate change and variability has impact on communities' social well being.
Community representatives interviewed indicated that majority of the people in
the respective areas have changed their living and working behaviors. Issues thathave been indicated to have changed include feeding of livestock around water
sources, reduced free grazing on farms, eating one type of food, growing
drought resistant crops, mixed cropping and crop diversification. Community
representatives interviewed indicated a number of strategies that have been
instituted by the local government in their respective districts. These include
awareness creation on water source conservation, proper land use planning,
environmental education, food storage, research on crop diseases; awarenesson the need to reduce livestock heard (destocking), village environmental bylaws
as well as improvement of traditional irrigation systems. As such, these strategies
if well applied by communities may result in improving proper use of natural
resources in the respective agro-ecosystems where climate variability andclimate change has a lot of negative impacts to the societies in theseecosystems.
2.4 Capacity building to the communities on climate change
issues and information
Community representatives interviewed in the case study areas indicated anumber of climate change related information dissemination approaches as acapacity building strategy to communities on climate change and climate
variability to include mass media (radio and television), traditional groups, village
meetings, artist works, seminars and teaching environmental education inprimary schools.
2.5 Effects of climate change on food security
Communities in the respective districts indicated effects of climate change tofood security to include occurrence of more crop pests and diseases and poor
crop harvests which is caused by poor rainfall and reduced soil fertility.
Respondents in the two districts indicated pests and diseases to have more
effects on food availability.
2.6 Effects of climate change on human health and livestock
In the two agro ecological systems 99.5% and 98% of respondents in Lushoto
6 | Tracking Effective Indigenous Adaptation Strategies on Impacts of Climate Variability on Food Security and Health of Subsistence Farmers in Tanzania

and Mpwapwa districts respectively indicated to have experienced effects ofclimate change on human health and livestock. Issues linked with climatechange include death of livestock due to lack of drinking water, pests anddiseases. Pests and diseases were mentioned to highly effects on human healthand livestock.

3.

Conclusions and policy options

From the findings obtained in this study, to aid decision making on ensuring thatthe impacts of climate change and climate variability is reduced to thecommunities, a framework (adapted from Descheemaeker, et al 2009) with twoentry points of mutual interactions, as shown below, is recommended.

The first entry point in the framework is through strengthening local communities'effective copying strategies that has been indicated to work better and that thecommunities in the respective agro-ecological systems have indicated to work
better. This will help in improving the resilience of the ecosystem towards climate
Tracking Effective Indigenous Adaptation Strategies on Impacts of Climate Variability on Food Security and Health of Subsistence Farmers in Tanzania | 7

variability. Practices such as traditional terracing, destocking, tree planting,traditional food storage, drilling of traditional wells and constriction andmaintaining of traditional water reservoirs as well as crop diversification will help
the communities in different agro-ecological systems to cope with the impacts ofclimate variability and climate change and this will also reduce vulnerability todifferent societies in different ecosystems.
The second entry point in the framework is on the interventions geared toinfluence policy and institutions that are dealing either direct or indirectly with theimpact of climate change and climate variability be improved. Main issues suchas providing evidence based scenarios of the impact of climate change to thepolicy makers, developing a harmonized unit to work on issues related to climatechange, lobbying for increased budget to the climate change impacted sectors,
i.e. agriculture, forestry and health, enhancing awareness creation to thesocieties, stabilizing and lowering the prices of alternative energy sources,
provision of alternative income generation to the communities in different agroecological zones, exploring current opportunities such as the Payment forEcosystem Services (PES) and carbon market through the Reduced Emission
from Degradation and Deforestation (REDD) will help communities in different
agro-ecological systems to reduce degradation hence improving the quality ofecosystems which will have impacts to the reduced impacts of climate change tothe livelihoods of the communities in different agro-ecological zones of thecountry.
Policy recommendations for building climate change resilienceat local and national levels
Integration of indigenous technologies that communities in the respective areas
are applying in different local plans and national developmental plans.
Formation of a platform for different stakeholders dealing with issues related toclimate change to facilitate wider circulation of the effective technologies that
farmers and livestock keepers have indicated to work better. Moreover, theplatform will also assist in lobbying for more research to improve the effective
traditional technologies and integrate them with the modern technologies that will
help farmers and livestock keepers cope with the impact of climate change andclimate variability in different ecosystems in the country.

8 | Tracking Effective Indigenous Adaptation Strategies on Impacts of Climate Variability on Food Security and Health of Subsistence Farmers in Tanzania

Local institutions should be strengthened or formed where such institutions are
not available to work with farmers in the respective agro-ecological zones to build
capacity to farmers and livestock keeper to develop robust are resilient strategies
that will help the respective communities towards coping with the impacts ofclimate change in the country.
Developing suitable alternative income generating activities in thesecommunities in order for the community members to cope with the impacts ofclimate variability and climate change in the respective agro-ecological zones.
At the national level, there has to be special efforts to develop a systematic longer
term climate change adaptation strategies that should be integrated in thenational plans that will help the state to help its people to cope with the impacts ofclimate change and climate variability.

Tracking Effective Indigenous Adaptation Strategies on Impacts of Climate Variability on Food Security and Health of Subsistence Farmers in Tanzania | 9

The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, private sector actors andpolicy makers promoting the generation, dissemination, use andmastery of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) for African
development, environmental sustainability and global inclusion.
ATPS intends to achieve its mandate through research, capacity
building and training, science communication/dissemination andsensitization, participatory multi-stakeholder dialogue,knowledge brokerage, and policy advocacy.

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ISBN: 978-9966-030-21-4