Influence of Climate Change in Implementation of Village Land Use Plans in Dodoma, Tanzania

Abstract

Abstract

Drought exacerbated by climate change has affected agricultural production in Sub-Sahara Africa. Land use plans can be used to attenuate climate hazards by enhancing adaptive capacity of farmers. However, most land use plans have put emphasis on conflict resolution and have inadequately considered issues regarding climate change adaptation. This study assessed whether Chenene village land use plan enhanced adaptation capacity of farmers in the village and how indigenous knowledge contributes to the enhancement of effective operationalization of the developed plans. Results show that the developed land use plans were not informed by indigenous knowledge, land capability classification and climate threats facing the village. As a result, villagers did not follow the plans as they did not realise any benefits by following such plans as compared to the past and therefore the adaptation capacity of farmers against effects of climate change was impaired. It is therefore recommended that for land use plans to be responsive to climate change and enhance adaptive capacity of farmers, the Guidelines for Participatory Land Use Plans ought to establish a mechanism of ensuring that indigenous knowledge, socio-economic factors of villagers, and land capability/suitability assessments are adequately adhered to before plans are approved and that the methodology of assessing suitability of a particular land unit for a particular use as inputs of land use planning in Tanzania is revised.