East Africa

There’s something about the partnership of the Pangani River Basin Project that conveys an unwritten sense of vision and purpose. From the highest levels of government and donors, to the officials on the ground, all involved appear to be working to a plan and a demarcated path that is clearly taking them into the future.

Process Management is the Key to Dialogue

Nasim Losai, a trained nutritionist and sociologist with governance NGO PAMOJA, sits on the office steps of the MUWAHI Water User Group, deep within Tanzania’s Pangani River basin. This is not an uncommon sight. PAMOJA works with local communities throughout the basin, discussing and resolving issues around access to the rivers’ water.

Lake Tanganyika - A challenge of diversity

Lake Tanganyika, holding 17 per cent of all free freshwater on earth, is unique in a myriad ways.

Crossing the Line to Conflict Resolution - The Story of the Kahe East Water Users Association

Arising from the dry, compacted soil of Mount Kilimanjaro’s lowest slopes, the Soko Spring appears as a bountiful oasis. Water gurgles from the ground, small fish swim and palms line the channel that ultimately feeds Tanzania’s Pangani River. Yet, appearances can deceive and the gushing water has, in reality, been the source of much local tension.

Climate change compounds a story of rights and conflict

There is little doubt that the climate in the Pangani River basin is changing fast. Along the length of its 500 kilometre course, users talk of better times, lodged in living memory, when there was simply more water. The Pangani was higher and stronger, and flow was guaranteed through the two dry seasons of every year. Instream flows have decreased and conflict over the dwindling resource now requires astute management.

Analysing river flows and ensuring equitable allocations

The 48 000km² Panagani River basin faces unique demands on its water resources. Starting high on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and Meru, the tributaries of the Pangani nourish a multitude of ecosystems before emptying into the Indian Ocean. One section of the catchment, the Eastern Arc Mountains near Kenya, is rated as one of the top 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world.