Agricultural Water Management Scenarios in the Mkindo Watershed Wami Basin, Tanzania

This technical report by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes three agricultural water management (AWM) scenarios in the Mkindo watershed of the Wami River Basin, Tanzania. Using community fieldwork and expert meetings, the report evaluates how different interventions—ranging from small-scale irrigation and rainwater storage to diesel pumps and large-scale commercial cash crop expansion—impact the livelihoods of small-scale farmers, livestock keepers, and other residents over a ten-year horizon.

• Scenario 1, focusing on expanding irrigation in the middle section and creating small-scale rainwater storage for livestock, is projected to increase overall crop yields by 72%. Specifically, maize and rice areas would increase by 118%, while sugar areas would decline by 21%.
• In Scenario 1, small-scale farmers in the expansion area could see yields per harvest increase by 75% and the number of annual harvests double from one to two. This shift may lead sugar cane out-growers to switch to rice production for more stable income and guaranteed markets.
• The introduction of rainwater storage ponds in Scenario 1 could reduce livestock migration, thereby decreasing conflicts between livestock keepers and crop producers and lowering meat prices due to improved production.
• Scenario 2, which emphasizes the use of diesel pumps for agriculture and a drainage channel for livestock, shows a high potential for vegetable production increase (465%) but risks long-term failure due to maintenance costs and technical difficulties.
• The intensive use of diesel pumps in Scenario 2 is associated with negative environmental and health outcomes, including diesel spillage into water courses and an increased incidence of waterborne diseases such as malaria, bilharzia, and typhoid.
• In Scenario 2, the construction of a drainage canal for livestock in the Kambala region could reduce migration and conflict, but may lead to overgrazing and soil erosion due to the high concentration of livestock along the channel.
• Scenario 3 involves a large-scale extension of irrigation into dryland areas for high-value cash crops, which is projected to increase overall crop yields by 164% but reduce maize and rice production by 50% and livestock grazing areas by 33%.
• Scenario 3 predicts a fundamental shift in social structure where small-scale farmers may lose their identity and status by becoming labourers for elite private investors after selling or leasing their land.
• The transition to cash crops in Scenario 3 is expected to make the Mkindo area a net importer of food, increasing the cost of living for all residents as local staple crop production declines.
• Across the scenarios, the report identifies that participatory land use planning and the establishment of water user associations are critical factors for maximizing benefits and mitigating conflicts between different stakeholder groups.

APA

de Bruin, A., Cinderby, S., Mbilinyi, B., Mahoo, H., & Barron, J. (2012). Agricultural Water Management Scenarios in the Mkindo Watershed Wami Basin, Tanzania. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/agwater/awm-scenarious.pdf

Chicago

de Bruin, Annemarieke, Steve Cinderby, Boniface Mbilinyi, Henry Mahoo, and Jennie Barron. Agricultural Water Management Scenarios in the Mkindo Watershed Wami Basin, Tanzania. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2012. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/agwater/awm-scenarious.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Bruin |first1=Annemarieke |last2=Cinderby |first2=Steve |last3=Mbilinyi |first3=Boniface |last4=Mahoo |first4=Henry |last5=Barron |first5=Jennie |title=Agricultural Water Management Scenarios in the Mkindo Watershed Wami Basin, Tanzania |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2012 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/agwater/awm-scenarious.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{debruin2012agricultural, author = {de Bruin, Annemarieke and Cinderby, Steve and Mbilinyi, Boniface and Mahoo, Henry and Barron, Jennie}, title = {{Agricultural Water Management Scenarios in the Mkindo Watershed Wami Basin, Tanzania}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2012}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/agwater/awm-scenarious.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }