“The Effects Of Landuse Practices On Water” Case Study: The Great Ruaha Basin In Mbarali District In Iringa, Tanzania.

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Land use is the manner in which humans beings employ the land and its resources. Land use practices include agriculture, irrigation, livestock keeping, timber logging, mining, fishing and industrialization activities. Land use practices affect land cover and water sources, thus degrading environmental resources. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of land use practices on a river. The Great Ruaha basin in Mbarali district in Iringa region, Tanzania was chosen as a case study. Several land use practices depend on water of the Great Ruaha basin and some of these land use practices degrade the basin and causing serious detrimental effects.

The specific objectives of the study included, identifying the types of land use practices, effects of land use practices and finding out what has been done to minimize the effects of land use practices on the Great Ruaha basin. The study also aimed to find solutions to the effects of land use practices so as to conserve the basin. A total sample size of 60 respondents in the Mbarali district was sampled randomly. The study also interviewed key informants such as environmental officers and district commissioners and ward officers. Data for the study was collected using questionnaires, photography, interview guide, observation checklist and literature review. Data collected was presented in tables and pie charts. The land use practices on a Great Ruaha basin included agriculture, irrigation, timber logging, cutting down of trees for firewood, livestock keeping, mining and fishing. The effects of these practices included deforestation, soil erosion, water pollution, reduced size ofthe basin, loss of original plantation and land cover and fish decline.

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“The Effects Of Landuse Practices On Water” Case Study: The Great Ruaha Basin In Mbarali District In Iringa, Tanzania.

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