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Linking integrated water resources management (IWRM) and Ecohydrology for the
sustainance of watersheds and environmentally friendly economic activities is vital for
ensuring continued water flow and a steady supply of watershed services for societal
needs, and the integrity of aquatic vegetation and animal species. However, regardless of
the reforms in water policy and the Water Resources Development Programme and Water
Resources Management Act to include provisions for IWRM, Tanzania is still facing several
institutional challenges in the practical implementation of IWRM. This study aimed at
exploring the potentials and constraints for integrating Ecohydrology and IWRM to
develop an integrated institutional framework for providing a sustainable flow of
ecosystem services for societal needs along the Pangani River Basin (PRB) in Tanzania. The
data was collected through socio-economic methods including questionnaires, surveys,
structured and semi-structured interviews and a documentary review of secondary
information. Logistic regression models were performed to analyse factors influencing
watershed management integration. Logistic regression results showed that watershed
management integration was significantly (p < 0.001) constrained by poor inter-sectoral
coordination at field level, diverging interests of watershed stakeholders, incompatibility
between formal and informal institutions, poor highland-lowland integration, develop-
ment interventions, population pressure, inadequate political support and migration. This,
together with power imbalances and the uncoordinated interests of multi-stakeholders,
predispose the PRB’s watersheds to unsustainable management. This state of affairs will
continue to hamper national aspirations to effectively implement IWRM along the PRB.
Successful IWRM implementation would allow the country to meet its obligations towards
sustainable watershed management. It is recommended that an integrated institutional
framework capable of integrating upstream and downstream communities be developed. |
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