SUCCESS STORY FOR SUPPORTING COMMUNITY BASED ADAPTATION INITIATIVES PROJECT TO COPE WITH THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN TANZANIA.
The project of “Supporting Community Based Adaptation Initiatives to cope with the Adverse Effects of Climate Change in Tanzania ” has been approved by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This is a wonderful partnership for the promotion of climate change understanding in the local communities where there are a lot of environmental shocks.
The project will be carried out in Iringa Region around the three Divisions of Pawaga, Kalenga and Isimani in Iringa District that constitute the major watershed for the Great Ruaha River. However, due to unsustainable land management practices and insufficient rains as a result of climate variability, inflows into the Great Ruaha River have fallen to its lowest levels. Crop production has also gone down putting villagers and their livestock to vulnerable socio-economic conditions. Wildlife at the Ruaha National Park is also at risk due to inadequate water availability for periods as long as six months per year. This project intends to strengthen the capacity of farmers and pastoralists in coping with the effects of climate change and addressing drivers of deforestation and forest degradation through community based initiatives.
The funded project primary objectives by the UNDP will be to strengthen the capacity of farmers and pastoralists in coping with the effects of climate change and addressing drivers of deforestation and forest degradation through community based intervention. While the CCDO implementing strategies shall be to increase awareness and understanding on the broader concept of climate change through village level meetings, identify and support conservation of water sources, establish woodland management on sustainable basis, promote wider use of indigenous knowledge in addressing the impacts of climate change, empower women, youths and school children on sustainable development through supporting conservation projects for demonstration.
The agreed project activities in this partnerships are to conduct village level awareness creation meetings in all three (3) target divisions in Iringa rural district, identify more than ten (10) water sources in need of rehabilitation, draw costed rehabilitation plans, implement rehabilitation plans, establish and train user committees for each source, identify more than seven (7) schools and three (3) youth groups in each divisions, draw plans for establishment and management of woodlots, and execute the plans through supervision of the proponent with technical support from the district.
While the project anticipated results include; increased awareness and understanding on the broader concept of climate change will sensitize about 10,000 local communities to refrain from local actions that degrade global environment and such malpractices will be listed for purposes of M & E, up to 10 water sources in the project area will be conserved, youths and school children that will participate in this project will be expected to be environmentally responsible citizens during their adulthood through the practical knowledge acquired during implementation of the project, sound woodland management coupled with conservation of water sources will improve ecological flows into the Great Ruaha River.
The project will provide relief in water fetching and woodfuel collection tasks to the women and girl-children, which is the group that is hit hardest by the effects of climate change.
The Children Care Development Organization (CCDO) as a friendly of the Name of our Christ we always respond to the word of God as illustrated by Richard Bauckham (1999) that,
“the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; while, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22: 1-2) Within the Bible water is often a symbol for the life-giving power of God, but in the hot dry climate of the Middle East it also inescapably reflects reality. Without water everything quickly dies”. Meaning that, ‘when it enters the stagnant waters of the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes every living creature which swarms will live, and there will be very many fish...And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. (Ezekiel 47: 8-12).
Despite the success above and mutual relationship with UNDP and CCDO we still invite other climate change activists to join with us in this global campaign since the need is still there over the country of Tanzanian and even other parts of the world just to favour our women and girls-children who are emerging as the leaders of the 21st century and their environment of tomorrow.