Environmental research

Context: In recent years, the issue of climate change has risen from being an environmental issue to becoming a political and development agenda. It is becoming an issue of equity and urgency considerations as it threatens to retard progress in achieving the MDGs. In Bahi District, the most critical manifestation of climate variability and change is the recurring drought. Drought affect community livelihoods, exacerbating poverty levels, leaving many communities trapped in a cycle of poverty and vulnerability. In responding to climate change, communities across the villages have adopted various coping and adaptive actions. The key coping mechanism is adoption of risk avoidance pattern and technologies in traditional agriculture. Households plant drought tolerant and early maturing varieties and early or dry planting, water harvesting, de-stocking of herds and change of herd composition. IFTz intends to capitalize on these community-based coping strategies with the view to enhancing resilience of local communities in addressing the effects of climate change in Bahi district. About the NGO: INADES Formation Tanzania (IFTz) is an autonomous NGO affiliated to the network of INADES Formation International. IFTz was established in Dodoma in 1989, It was registered in 1994 and in 2009, it complied with the terms and conditions of the national NGO Policy and NGO Act of 2002. For a period of over 20 years, IFTz has been working in Dodoma, Morogoro, Singida and recently Mbeya regions. Its main focus is on the following areas: agriculture, gender and development, marketing and microfinance. It is also involved in environment, food security and nutrition. Since early 2000, IFTz began to engage in Climate Change adaptation activities after realizing that rural people are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and that adaptation is necessary for addressing poverty and building sustainable livelihoods. Project Primary Objective: Increasing the ability of rural communities and local institutions in 5 semi-arid villages of Bahi district to manage climate-induced hazards through building their adaptive capacity, effective climate-risk management and alternative livelihoods options.

Tanzania