Soil and water conservation in semi-arid Tanzania: Government policy and farmers' practices

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to assess national natural resource management policies, with particular reference to soil and water management in relation to farmers' actual practices in semiarid areas. The paper reviews policies on land, agriculture, forestry and water and then describe farmers' practices in three case study areas in Tanzania: Dodoma District; Shinyanga District; and the western Pare lowlands of Mwanga and Same Districts. These case studies lead to a synthesis of the factors influencing the adoption of rainwater harvesting technologies. Throughout the chapter, the gap between government policy and farmers' practices and priorities is demonstrated