Pangani Basin still has water distribution capacity

KILIMANJARO: DESPITE growing concerns over water scarcity linked to climate change, the Pangani Basin Water Board (PBWB) still has the capacity to distribute water to users without developing new water sources, it has been revealed.

This was stated recently by a facilitator at the Water Accounting and Auditing stakeholders’ validation workshop, Ms Dorothea Deus from the University of Dar es Salaam.

The workshop was held in Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region. Ms Dorothea said current data show that PBWB utilises an average of 17.76 cubic kilometres of water flow annually, while an average of 7.27 cubic kilometres remains available for further use.

“This suggests that the Pangani Basin has additional capacity for water development without immediately exceeding renewable supplies, particularly for agricultural irrigation and hydropower,” she said.

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However, she cautioned that climate change continues to pose serious risks to water availability, noting that analyses indicate a declining trend in precipitation coupled with increasing evapotranspiration across water basins in the country.

“These factors contribute to a reduction in the amount of water available for utilisation,” she said.

Commenting on the purpose of the workshop, Ms Dorothea said it was intended to discuss preliminary findings of the PBWB water security assessment and to validate data before wider application.

“Water accounting is a very useful tool for promoting efficiency and transparency in water supply and utilisation by different stakeholders,” she noted.

She added that water accounting forms the foundation of sound water management decisions, as it focuses on systematic measurement and quantification of water resources and their uses.

“You cannot manage what you do not measure. Water accounting allows decision-makers to clearly understand how much water is available, how it is used and where inefficiencies exist,” she said.

Speaking at the same session, PBWB Director, Mr Segule Segule, said the results presented at the workshop are based on a pilot water auditing project conducted by the board under government directives.

He said the outcomes of the pilot project will serve as a national guide for water accounting and auditing, helping to improve water management practices across the country.