Tanzania: Water Resources Management Stakeholders Meet

WATER resources management and development dominated a water stakeholders’ meeting.

The water stakeholders were meeting to receive and discuss presentation on a study on ‘Water Resources Management and Development in Wami/Ruvu Basin’, conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Water, Mr Bashir Mrindoko, said the study will equip water experts with knowledge on how to manage water resources in the country. “The study by JICA will ensure our local water experts are able to come up with plans to ensure sustainability of the resource for socio-economic development,” Mr Mrindoko explained.

During discussions, it emerged that some people living around river basins, invade water sources and misuse the water for irrigation and industrial use. Professor Henry Mahoro from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) argued that Tanzania is a blessed country, full of water resources, but people don’t know how to conserve and use it properly in their economic activities.

“Look at a country like Israel, it doesn’t have a lot of water bodies like Tanzania, however, the little water available, is recycled and used again, while we are not able to tap rain and once the rainy seasons are gone we start looking for it,” he lamented. In addressing problems raised, the Wami Basin Water Management Officer, Mrs Praxeda Kalugendo, said they have started to involve a number of different stakeholders in order to identify the quantity of water available in every basin and how water should be used in industrial and agricultural sectors.

Mrs Kalugendo further explained that when they meet with different water experts, such as JICA, they dialogue to come up with different solutions on how to use water as a developmental resource. “Through discussing different studies done by organizations like JICA we get knowledge on how to ensure implementation of actual situation and evaluation of our water resources potential,” she said.

Wami/Ruvu basin hydro geologist, Mr Mshuda Wilson said water needs in the country are exceeding the availability. Mr Wilson called upon the public to use water properly, especially farmers, with the knowledge that other people need it as well.