Active Projects
Environmental flow assessment for Tanzanian rivers
In 2002, the East African country of Tanzania revamped its legal and institutional frameworks for freshwater management, granting ecosystem needs for water second priority--after basic domestic needs--in water allocation decisions. Since then, concentrated efforts have been made to conduct environmental flow assessments (EFA) for Tanzania's major river systems, using holistic approaches. Tropical Rivers Lab scientists have participated in EFAs for the Mara, Wami, and Ruvu rivers. We have also worked to elevate scientific understanding of freshwater ecosystems and their biodiversity in Tanzania, and the strengths and assets of local human populations to protect it.
Asset mapping for watershed conservation in Tanzania
The Mara River Basin, shared between Kenya and Tanzania, drains some of the world's most iconic landscapes -- such as the Masai Mara and Serengeti National Park-- on its course from the Mau Forests to the Lake Victoria coastline near Musoma, Tanzania. Most research and conservation action to date has taken place on the Kenyan side of the basin, but recent efforts have helped to elevate knowledge of the Tanzanian side of the basin. Here, we are working collaboratively to identify the strengths and assets of human populations in the lower Mara River Basin--things like kinship, reciprocity networks, sacred forests, traditional water management practices, and international cooperation--that could be put to work for watershed management and conservation.
