Date: 10/17/2017 Village: Rhotia, Moyo Hill Camp
Date: 10/17/2017 Village: Rhotia, Moyo Hill Camp
Country: Tanzania
Time started: 3:00 pm Time ended: 3:45 pm
Interviewer Information
Interviewer’s name: Karlene Cudak
Interviewer’s email:
Interviewer’s sex: female
Background Information
Respondent’s name: Bernard Kissui
Respondent’s role: Moyo Hill Center Director
Main livelihood(s) in village: Moyo Hill Center Director and Researcher
Respondent’s sex: male
How many years have you lived in this area: 1-5 years
What is your age: 36-53 years old
Changes in Weather and Climate
- What are some of the biggest changes you have observed over the last few years?
- Changes in the rainfall patterns
- Short rains are less frequent/more rare
- Timing of the rains have changed – they are more erratic
- Warmer temperatures in Rhotia
- Farmers often grew wheat, but it is not as successful as a crop anymore due to the warming temperatures
- What are the biggest changes in weather you have observed over the last few years?
- Changes in rainfall
- Drought
- More sporadic
- Changes in temperature
- Increased temperatures
Impacts of Changes in Weather and Climates and Responses
- How have the changes in weather you mentioned impacted the main livelihood?
- He is not directly impacted since his professions are not as affected as others, such as the farmers in Rhotia
- Discusses the impacts he has observed
- Those who work with agriculture are extremely impacted
- Decline in crop yield
- Unpredictable crop yields due to sporadic rainfall
- Responses have been to change what they cultivate
- Abandonment of certain crops, such as wheat, due to their unsuccessfulness
- His responses are influenced by his knowledge and viewpoint as a researcher
- How have people responded to these impacts?
- Agriculturalists have begun to heavily use fertilizer due to their decreasing crop yield
- Cultivating new/alternative crops
- Harvesting/collecting of water during the wet season due to its scarcity in the dry season and unpredictability of rainfall
- Agro-pastoralists mostly present in Rhotia
- How have the changes in weather you mentioned affected the availability of natural resources?
- Water scarcity – has gotten substantially worse over the years
- Adoption of alternative energy sources
- Biogas vs. firewood
- Propane (must be purchased)
- Using charcoal less
- Large attempt to use solar energy
- Cheap
- Easy
- Only used for lighting, not cooking
- How have people responded to these impacts?
- They have adopted alternative energy sources (as mentioned above)
Other Impacts and Responses
- Are there any other impacts or responses to the changes in weather you mentioned?
- Increased use of pesticides and fertilizers
- These have more potential impact of weather and the climate than we have the ability to measure
- Impacts are not known and are not heavily studied
Impact of Responses on Biodiversity
- Which responses potentially have negative impacts on biodiversity?
- Pesticide use:
- Impacts unknown
- Most likely dangerous for biodiversity
- Meant to kill insects, so could also negatively affect other wildlife, livestock or people
- Clearing more habitat for farming
- Loss of habitat for wildlife
- Loss of wildlife corridors
- Increased chances of human-wildlife conflict due to increased interaction opportunities
- Increased competition for resources
- Land needed for wildlife, but also needed for the growing human population and for farms to grow food to avoid food scarcity
- Water scarcity – drought
- Not enough water for all wildlife, livestock, and people
Other Additional Comments
- Potential increase in diseases (i.e. malaria)
- Long term data is needed to see if there is an increase in people getting diseases and if the potential increase is impacted by changes in weather and in climate
- For example, there was rarely malaria in the highlands, if ever, but now (potentially) due to increased temperatures more mosquitos are present, thus spreading malaria more