The Catchment to Coast Conundrum in Tanzania: The Past, the Present, and the Future of Water Resources and Anthropogenic Activities is an essential book addressing the interactions between river basins and coastal and marine environments in the West Indian Ocean region (WIO). Key issues include water and sediment quality degeneration due to pollution, physical alteration, destruction of habitats, and changes in freshwater flows and sediment loads. The WIO region is experiencing rapid population growth, causing land-based activities to exert pressure on the marine environment, degrade critical coastal habitats, and alter freshwater flow and sediment loads into the WIO.
The book emphasizes the importance of science-based ecosystem-centered management of river basins for the sustainability of ecosystems in the WIO region. It discusses increased human population pressure and inappropriate land uses in upper catchments as major causes of environmental degradation. This comprehensive guide aims to provide students and researchers with essential knowledge about the area and raise awareness on the significance of river restoration and conservation in river basin management, including coastal areas.
Preface to this Book Brief summary of the book
Section One: Source-to-Sea: From the Headwater to the Marine Ecosystems
1. An overview of major WIO river basins o Rufiji River Basin o Pangani River
Basin, o Wami/Ruvu River Basin o Ruvuma and Southern Coast Basin
2. Catchment drainage networks and resource regimes
3. River ecosystems, Biodiversity, Human well-being, Values and Threats
4. River Ecology, the Natural Flow Regime Paradigm and Hydro-ecological
Principles
5. Legislation and Policy Framework
Section Two: Development and Social Impacts
1. Development on river, estuary and marine ecosystems o Landuse and Land
Cover Change o Water Abstraction o Hydropower Generation o Pollution o Mining
o Agricultural o Urbanization
2. Water resources utilization and use
Section Three: Implications of Climate variability Change on WIO waters
1. Trends in climate variability and impacts on WIO rivers
2. Climate change predictions of WIO rivers
3. Climate Change and Resilience
Section Four: Scientific Approaches and Methods in Water Management A key
focus is how to balance a huge climate interannual variability (with a
succession of floods and droughts), with environmental and social needs
within the river basins and in the coastal zone.
1. Tools and Methods for Environmental Flow Assessments and Implementation
2. IWRM in WIO Rivers
Governance and Institutional Frameworks
Community-based management
Gender equity and mainstreaming and decision making
Capacity building
Section Five: Transboundary water management
1. WIO Transboundary rivers and River Basin Organizations
2. International water law and transboundary agreements
3. Negotiations and conflict resolution
Section Six: Presenting Case Studies/Synthesis
Selected case studies
Asukile R Kajuni is a Natural Resources Management Consultant with over forty years of professional field experience associated with protected area management and planning; policy development and the sustainable management of natural resources and community based natural resources management. From 2019 to 2022, he led a team of professionals in the preparation of Catchments Conservation Plans for nine basins in Tanzania that included Rufiji, Pangani, Wami/Ruvu and Ruvuma & Southern Coast basins. His research interest is in the application of holistic approaches to management of natural ecosystems through the socio-ecological lenses. The use of integrated water resources management (IWRM) and ecohydrological principles in the river systems; GIS and Remote Sensing technology for spatial planning and local area land management; Environmental and Social Impact Assessment; application of environment and natural resources governance at the local level.
Raphael Mwalyosi is a retired Professor of ecology, wildlife and natural resources/Environmental Analyst, experienced and longtime researcher on integrated Resources Management and Social & Environmental Impact Assessment Specialist. With over 45 years of considerable professional and practical experience in ecology and natural resource assessment, he worked and carried out environment-related research throughout Tanzania. He was a faculty member from the University of Dar es Salaam where he taught and was also Director of Institute of Resource Assessment, a multidisciplinary research institute of the University dealing with natural resource assessment and environmental management including climate change adaptation and vulnerability assessments.
Japhet J. Kashaigili is a Professor of Water Resources, Eco-Hydrology and Environment, with extensive experience in environmental flows assessment and source-to-sea, and Director, Directorate of Postgraduate Studies, Research, Techology Tranasfer and Consultancy, Sokoine University of Agriculture. His research field covers Water Resources, Hydrogeology, Eco-Hydrology, Groundwater Management, Hydrological analysis and Modelling, Agricultural Water Management, Wetland Ecosystems Management, Spatial planning, Climate Change and Adaptations, Applied Remote Sensing and GIS for Water and Land Resources Assessment, Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA).
