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 asthe strategy for boosting other adaptation strategies. Data for the study were gathered from fivemajor sources; these include field observation, interviews, household questionnaires and focus groupdiscussions (FGDs). It also reviewed various literature including weather-recorded data. The studyfound that groundwater is unsurpassed climate change adaptation in the area and it enhances otheradaptation mechanisms like planting trees and irrigation. The use of groundwater has thrived to diminishwater shortage in the area as a result it helps to increase water for domestic and sanitation usage. It alsoboosted water use range per person per day and decreased the distances walked by persons in obtainingdomestic water. Despite these advantages, groundwater is neglected and less preferred in governmentplanning, 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 coverwater shortage between rainfall seasons in the area since the area was semi-arid. It provided dailywater 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 climatechange adaptation in semi arid regions in Tanzania. This will generate knowledge that can be used byplanners in climate change adaptation since groundwater can help to evacuate people ' s livelihood fromclimate change vulnerability.