Impact of Climate Change in rural Tanzania

Impact of Climate change in rural Tanzania.

Whilst visiting Methodist Church communities in the Lake Victoria region of rural Tanzania earlier this month, the impact of Climate is acutely evident. A terrible drought is affecting Africa, from the Horn of Africa all the way to Mozambique. The rains of 2022 have failed to materialise. The land is parched and farmers have been unable to plant crops let alone harvest them which leaves serious concerns of widespread famine in the year ahead.

Whilst visiting church communities, I was taken to one village where the water supply is literally no more than a puddle – not unusual for the area. Women from the surrounding villages wait for many hours around the water hole – their only supply of drinking, cooking and washing water – for the water to seep to the surface, but most walk back to their homes with empty buckets. A borehole would solve the problem for the surrounding area, but a borehole costs in the region of £10,000 – a sum that neither the villagers nor the local church can afford.

An hours’ journey away, I joined fishermen on the shore of Lake Victoria. Fish are a vital source of nourishment in this area, especially with the impact of the drought.

The church is striving to support local communities, particularly in income-generation initiatives to improve livelihoods for all. However, the provision of boreholes would transform the lives of local people and hugely expand capacity to grow and harvest crops. Let us pray for all seeking to improve lives in the region, and that international attention might be forthcoming in the face of the looming consequences of drought across the Continent.

Andrew Ashdown

Partnership Coordinator for Africa.

tanzania. drought

tanzania. waiting for water

tanzania. waiting for water 2

tanzania. fishing lake victoria 2

tanzania. fishing lake victoria

tanzani. parched fields

tanzania drought 2