Managing wetlands to solve the water crisis in the Katuma River ecosystem, Tanzania

The formerly perennial Katuma River in western Tanzania starts a protected forest, it then flows through irrigated rice farms before reaching Lake Katavi, floodplain wetland whose outflow regulates the river flow Katavi National Park (KNP) down to its outlet at Rukwa, which has no outlet. In recent years, due overexploitation of water for irrigation, dried out up four months per year and this greatly degraded KNP ecosystem, siltation lead flooding adjacent areas during heavy rains, level Rukwa decreased by 4 m since 1992 while fishery yield quality also deteriorated. 2016, total 46 illegal weirs were removed from upstream KNP. Following that, zero-flow periods reduced two rose 1 m. We suggest that construction low V-notch weir wetlands would further reduce an additional month, thus returning nearly former status. enforcement regulations governing irrigation is essential. These ecohydrology solutions do not eliminate threats, but they amplify opportunities sustainable development basin scale. This example active governance resources scale can be applied throughout semi-arid East Africa general.