1:3 DEMAND OF WATER (GE:340 NOTES Cont...)

1:3 DEMAND OF WATER

•      Do we have enough water resources in our country to cope with the water demands of the Tanzanians?

•      Is the water equally availability in all parts of Tanzania? Why?

According to the 21^st Annual Water Experts Conference (AWEC) Tanzania has sufficient water resources to meet most of its present needs and they include surface and underground sources.

Together with all these water resources available in Tanzania, there is a great variation of water availability between different parts of the country.

The variation is explained by differences in topography, rainfall pattern, climate, population growth, man induced activities, low technology, urbanization etc

1:4 WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

Efforts done by the government to develop water resources in Tanzania.

           -Water basin management

           -Plans/ policies (2002 Tanzania water policy)

Water basin management

In 1989, through the Water Utilization ((Control and Regulation) Act No. 42 of 1974, Amendment No. 10 of 1981) the Minister for Water gazette nine (9) water basins for the purposes of water resources administration and management.

1)    Pangani River Basin (1991),

2)     Rufiji River Basin (1993),

3)    Lake Victoria (2000),

4)    Wami-Ruvu (2001),

5)    Lake Nyasa (2001),

6)     Lake Rukwa (2001),

7)     Internal Drainage Basin to Lake Eyasi, Manyara and Bubu depression (2004)

8)     Lake Tanganyika (2004),

9)     Ruvuma and Southern Coast (2004).

 

The objective of the river basin approach is to manage water resources in an integrated and comprehensive manner, which ensures equitable, efficient and sustainable development of the resources.

River basin management rests on the principle that naturally functioning river basin ecosystems, including accompanying wetland and groundwater systems, are the source of freshwater.

The staffs in these basins are engaged in water resources management, surface and groundwater resources assessment and exploration, Water Resources Planning and Research, Regulatory, Enforcement and Environment.

The Basins are administered by Basin Water Officers.

        (http://www.maji.go.tz/basins)

Important information for water policy formation 

Water resources development goes hand in hand with water resources

                - Assessment and

                 -planning.

Assessment involves all sectors, in community or user level, district, wide basin and national level

The following information is required for water resources development and planning; The quantity, quality, character, location,  patterns of use, and response of the resource to use and user demands, pollution on water quality and degradation processes.

The assessment also involves water use projects and water related hazards such as floods and droughts.

-All these information help in water policy formation of the water policy for any country.

v Fragmented planning, implemented following sector, regional or district interests, lead to failure of any water policy of the country. 

         THE 2002 TANZANIA NATIONAL WATER POLICY

 Before 2002 most water resources development  plans were sectorial oriented without consideration  the demands of other users. Eg the water policy of 1991 which emphasized that the central government is a sole investor, implementer and manager of the water projects, both in rural and urban areas.

•      The Policy also emphasized that the Central Government has a responsibility of protecting water sources while environmental protection was not accorded its due importance.

•       The 1991 National Water Policy set a goal of providing clean and safe water to the population within 400 meters from their households by the year 2002.

•      Till 2002 only about 50% of the rural population had access to a reliable water supply service.

•       Due to poor operational and maintenance arrangements, over 30% of the rural water schemes were not functioning properly in 2002!

•      The 2002 water policy was revised policy of the 1991 policy  to develop a comprehensive framework for sustainable development and management of the Nation’s water resources, in which an effective legal and institutional framework for its implementation will be put in place

AIMS OF THE 2002 TANZANIA NATIONAL WATER POLICY

Ø Doing Water resources assessment on the basis of sound scientific and technical information and understanding.

Ø Defining the status of surface and ground water in terms of quality and quantity and its use regularly on the basis of river basin and in conjunction aquifer boundaries.

Ø Sustainable plans and development of water resources.

Ø Ensuring that beneficiaries participate fully in planning, construction, operation, maintenance and management of community based domestic water supply schemes.

Ø This policy seeks to address cross- sectoral interests in water, watershed management and integrated and participatory approaches for water resources planning, development and management.

Ø Also, the policy lays a foundation for sustainable development and management of water resources in the changing roles of the Government from service provider to that of coordination, policy and guidelines formulation.

Ø The policy aimed at developing large water schemes including construction of dams, large rainfall harvesting schemes, water intakes, river diversion works, pumping stations, water well drilling, ground water abstraction and use.

Ø It also aimed at inter basin water transfers that meet objectives of water resources management, are subject to a permit and an Environmental Impact Assessment

VIVA Group  Question

-         Discuss the water policy of Tanzania. In your discussion include a brief overview of water issue or problem, the potential solutions/ policies being discussed, debated or implemented and your own suggested policy solutions to the problems.

QUIZ No. 1
15 minutes

Qn. 1. “Water is a finite and vulnerable resource “ What does this statement mean?

Qn. 2.What  information of water is needed for a sound, scientific, sustainable and workable water policy formation?

WATER AS A RESOURCE GE: 340 (NOTES)

TOPIC 1: WATER AS A RESOURCE GE: 340 (NOTES)

Distribution of water on earth

•      Saline and fresh water distribution

•      Hydrological cycle

•      Reasons for uneven distribution of water

•      Water covers about 70% of Earth’s surface (Shakhashiri,2009).

 The Earth is often referred to as the "blue planet" because when viewed from space it appears blue

 

•      This blue color is caused by reflection from the oceans which contain the bulk of water.

Water is widely distributed on Earth as freshwater and salt water in the oceans. Water is contained in the ocean, atmosphere, icecaps, glaciers, underground sources, rivers and lakes.

•       Other small amount of water in the atmosphere, and inside the body of living organisms. (Your body is made up of 60% water)

•      According to the earth system models all these areas that contain water are the hydrological interconnected systems.

•      This fact of interconnectivity among the areas that contain water can be explained by the so called Hydrological cycle.

•      The global hydrological cycle explains the distribution of water as it moves as either a liquid, solid or vapor between the ocean, the atmosphere and the land.

•      The total amount of water in the cycle is always the same; no water is added or lost (The principle of mass/matter conservation).

 This is a good example of a closed system.

•      The hydrological cycle is powered by solar energy. The sun heats water from the ocean, lakes, rivers and the Earth’s surface. This water then evaporates into the atmosphere (Evaporation)

•       Additional water is drawn from the soil by plants, and is then evaporated into the atmosphere from leaves and stems   (transpiration).

•      As the air rises and the temperature drops, the moisture-laden air condenses (Condensation) forming clouds and eventually resulting in precipitation in the form of rain or snow.

•       Surface run-off makes its way back to the ocean via rivers. Other water seeps into the soil. This process is called infiltration

•      If the rock below the soil is permeable, then the water percolates the rock and is stored as groundwater.

•      As water passes through the hydrological cycle it is naturally cleaned through the following processes.

•       Distillation: happens when water evaporates, leaving impurities behind

•      Crystallization: occurs when ocean water freezes and creates pure water ice. Again, impurities are removed from the water naturally.

•      Filtration: The ground itself works as a filtering agent. When water moves through particles of sand or rock, larger contaminants get left behind.

•      Dilution: is when contaminants in water are made less dangerous by the addition of pure water. For example, a small pond with undrinkable water will be cleaner after a large amount of precipitation increases its pure water content.

•      Oxidation: in water breaks down organic materials, such as dead plants, animals and their waste products, into simple molecules.

 

UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OF WATER ON THE EARTH’S SURFACE

Uneven distribution of water is caused by

•      The nature of rainfall of an area

•      The nature of surface bedrock which has an effect on the rate of infiltration

•      The nature of landscape.

•      Availability of water bodies. Water bodies normally help to speed up the rate of evaporation

•      Economic development and technological development.

 

GROUP QUESTIONS

1.If water is constantly being cleaned and recycled through the earth’s water cycle, why do we need to conserve it?

2.Using examples elaborate the contention that “water is unevenly distributed in time, space, quantity and quality in Tanzania”.

3.If 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water. Do you think there is any need to conserve water? Why?