Community Adaptation Plans helps communities build resilience to climate change impact, a case of Simanjiro – Manyara, Tanzania

Simanjiro district is one of the very dry areas in Manyara region with unreliable source of water and long-term dry seasons because of climate change effects.  As the changes continue, it is critical for stakeholders to improve their management of climate variability, change and uncertainties to be able to develop approaches for resilient livelihoods adaptation. Stakeholders need to access climate information and gain the knowledge for informed decisions while in planning processes. 

CARE International in Tanzania is implementing Our Land Program II, which aims at addressing climate change issues with a focus on building local community’s capacity and systems to support resilience and adaptation in Olchoronyori, Korongo and Magadini villages. This is done through Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP), a mechanism for collective sharing and interpretation of seasonal modern climate forecasts provided by Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA). PSP brings together meteorologists, Government practitioners, community members, local community forecasters, Civil Society Organizations, private sector and other stakeholders to share knowledge and experience on climate forecasts for collaborative seasonal planning. Local community forecaster from Simanjiro District use indicators such as plants, insects, animals, wind directions and the movement of the sun, moon and stars to monitor climate changes. Integrating scientific knowledge and the traditional knowledge led to community’s proper planning and taking of measures that resulted to better management of their resources.

“As a pastoralist community and people living in a semi-arid area, availability of water is more valuable to us. We now have enough water through protection of water sources and planting trees. Women use less time to fetch water. We no longer travel long distances to fetch water and other households harvest rainwater.” said Mr. Sinjore, Olchonyori village – Simanjiro, Tanzania.

After the awareness and capacity building trainings, communities were able to develop local community adaptation plans that help to adapt prior to the effects and sustainably manage their natural resources.  In the year 2020, 17 local community based adaptation plans were developed in Simanjiro District.

Community participation during resources mapping

Among the things considered in local community adaptation plans include;  

• Emphasis on land use plans that allow communities to demarcate areas according to the community needs; resulted in allocating areas for grazing in dry seasons to control pastoralist migration, floods, earmarking safe land for human settlements and crop farming.
• Community practicing conservation farming including crop rotation for control and improvement of soil health
• Improving livestock management and reducing overstocking
• Implementation of bylaws that clearly demonstrate strict measures to be taken to stop illegal activities that can lead to environmental degradation.
• Planting trees and continued restoration of degraded areas to improve ecosystems services

Simanjiro community is now enjoying the success of the local community adaptation plans. Small holder farmers and pastoralists use indigenous and modern climate information to support farming planning and livestock management.