WATER SCARCITY DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENS LIVELIHOODS

By SIMON MUNTEMBA

GROWING water scarcity as a result of climate change-induced extreme weather events and population increase have not only become a major constraint for agricultural activities, but have also fueled conflicts.

They are having major repercussions on the availability and accessibility to water and water resources especially for small-scale farmers in rural areas who largely depend on rain-fed agriculture.

In the Katongo Kapala area, Chief Chikwanda of Mpika District, the water shortages due to dilapidated infrastructure and exacerbated by climate change have affected crop and fish production as well as fueled wrangles.

Katongo Kapala is an agricultural community that is involved in horticulture and aquaculture production and supplies them to markets not only in Mpika but also in the surrounding districts such as Chama and Lavushimanda.

Apart from rainfall, the agricultural activities in this area are also supported by an existing irrigation canal off Mukugwa River that had fallen into disrepair due to lack of rehabilitation and maintenance.

The dwindling supply of water from the Mukugwa River is due to damaged points along the canal leading to increasingly inadequate access to water to support the agricultural activities of the farmers.

Thus, the decrease in water availability especially from September to December has created scarcity of the vital resource, triggering conflict between farmers growing horticultural crops and those that have invested in integrated fish farming.

Farmers closer to the river naturally receive the most water, while those far away have complained that they are not getting enough water resulting in perennial conflicts.

To enhance agricultural productivity and address the water-related conflicts, the Zambian Government, through the World Bank-funded Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD) project, has embarked on the construction of a furrow intake and irrigation canal in the Katongo Kapala area.

Speaking after touring the Katongo Kapala agricultural area, TRALARD Muchinga Province Environmental Social Inclusion Officer Peter Chisanga said the construction of an intake funnel and irrigation canal would enhance sustainable water management by halting the unwanted loss of water along the canal.

Mr. Chisanga also disclosed that the local contractor, JM and J Limited had been engaged to execute the subproject which is estimated to cost over K2.5 million.

“The sub-project will also enable more farmers to have access to water for agricultural irrigation. The contractor engaged is JM and J Limited and the cost of the subproject is K 2,591,095.95,” Mr. Chisanga said.

This development has elated the residents, including traditional leaders who have expressed optimism that their yields would improve and that the days of disputes over water distribution would be behind them.

Village Headman Chilikisha of Chief Chikwanda in Mpika District said he was optimistic that the improved furrow intake and irrigation canal scheduled to be constructed under the TRALARD project would boost agricultural productivity and resolve water-related conflicts in the area.

The traditional leader explained that with the village’s population rising and climate change triggering more erratic rainfall, competition for scarce water especially during the dry season was growing, leading to serious conflicts among stakeholders.

He said his village, which stretches over seven kilometers, has over 130 households who are involved in crop and fish farming, but that the dwindling supplies of water from Mukugwa River had forced 12 fish farmers to abandon their projects.

“We are grateful that the Government and the World Bank through the TRALARD project have come to our rescue. Once the works are completed, the furrow intake and irrigation canal will help us to resolve the water crisis and conflicts that we have been experiencing for a long time now,” Headman Chilikisha said.

One of the residents, Henry Chibale, also confirmed that water disputes have for millennia served as a flashpoint, driving tension among the residents.

Mr. Chibale narrated that because of inadequate water supply, there had been serious squabbles among community members, resulting in some fish farming activities being halted.

He said the construction of an improved furrow intake and irrigation canal in the area would resolve water challenges and provide farming households with much-needed food stability while reducing pressure on the environment and natural resources.

Mr. Chibale further said with the project’s intervention, cases of illegal activities such as charcoal burning which exacerbate climate change would be a thing of the past.

Another community member, Ms. Ireen Mulenga said severe water shortages in recent years had affected her subsistence farming activities.

Ms. Mulenga who lamented the low crop production due to water scarcity said with the TRALARD’s intervention, she expected things to change for the better for her family and community members.

Indeed, growing water shortages due to climate change and population increase are a source of conflict among farmers in rural areas and there is a need for more stakeholders to come on board to supplement the Government’s effort in resolving these challenges.

Such conflicts pit ethnic groups, races and nations against one another and are likely to get worse, fueled by a toxic mix of climate change, environmental ruin, mounting droughts, and famine.

It is heartwarming to note that the TRALARD project is addressing the deficit of resilient infrastructure in the areas most vulnerable to climate change impacts in Muchinga Province.

The construction of a furrow intake and irrigation canal in the Katongo Kapala area will help regulate water flows and provide water for irrigation purposes.

The construction of a furrow intake and irrigation canal in the Katongo Kapala area is one of several projects being rehabilitated and improved across the Northern region of Zambia under the supervision of the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment.

This will not only resolve water-related conflicts but also enhance agricultural production and productivity of irrigated crops, and improve household nutrition, food security and incomes, thereby reducing pressure on natural resources.