Water and Pasture Availability on Livestock Routes Under a Changing Climate: A Case of Ilemela and Magu Districts in Tanzania.

The beef cattle production system practiced in the Lake Victoria Basin is mainly extensive, which involves cattle grazing on natural pastures. This system is characterized by overgrazing, low livestock production and soil degradation. Under the effects of global climate change, these pastoral management challenges are expected to increase. As the impacts of climate change to beef cattle production over the Lake Victoria Basin is unknown, this study used participatory mapping method and focus group discussions to assess spatial changes in livestock routes in relation to water and pasture availability in Ilemela and Magu districts of Mwanza region, Tanzania. GIS technology was used for the formalization of spatial layers. It was revealed that there were many changes in livestock routes such that some have become roads, some have been lost, and others narrowed. These changes were due to increase of settlements and cultivated areas, and more specifically a general decline of water sources and grazing land. This implies that appropriate strategies such as a land use planning, stock routings modification, education on effective cattle farming and intervention by rainwater harvesting should be designed so as to adapt to climate change effects, and improve livestock production in Ilemela and Magu districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]