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This research for assessing the contribution of Little Ruaha River to the income of the
adjacent households was conducted in four selected villages. The main focus was on
assessing how individuals, households and communities depend on the river for their
income. Specifically, the study aimed at examining the river regime changes for the past
47 years, assessing the main economic activities practiced by people in the elected
villages, determining the contribution of the river to the households’ income, evaluating
the perception of people regarding river flow change over time and its linkage to
household income. Both primary and secondary data were employed in answering these
specific objectives. Questionnaires were administered to 200 randomly selected
respondents in the four selected villages and supported by secondary data from Rufiji
Water Basin Office and Agriculture department in the District Council Office. Simple
linear regression model was used to examine the flow changes in little Ruaha river.
To assess economic activities conducted by households, descriptive statistics was used to
analyze data. Results show that, there is no significant changes in river flow for the period
of 47 years. Findings reveal that, paddy production in the area is the main economic
activity conducted by majority of the households. Results also indicate that, there is no
relationship between river flow change and household income. Despite the insignificant
changes in the river flow of Little Ruaha River, the household income tends to increase
over time, plausibly because of the agricultural technology introduced to the
communities. Increasing public knowledge on Little Ruaha River flow to the community
is important, along with exploration of other economic activities which do not jeopardize
the sustainability of the river. More research using robust methodologies to ascertain river
flow changes and the factors influencing the change is of paramount importance. |
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