Assessment of the adaptation measures of coastal community to the impacts of salinity intrusion in Pangani district, Tanzania

This study assessed the adaptation measures of coastal community to the impacts of salinity intrusion in Pangani district, Tanzania. The specific objectives of the study were three folds: first, to identify the causes of salinity intrusion in the study area; second, to examine the impacts of salinity intrusion on socio-economic activities and ecosystem in the study area; and third, to assess the benefits of adaptation measures for the coastal community. Purposive sampling and simple random sampling were used to select a sample for this study which employed mixed methods of qualitative and quantitative design in data collection and analysis. The study employed the questionnaire, key informant interviews, field observation and measurement to collect data. Microsoft Excel, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16 were employed in the analysis of quantitative data. For qualitative data transcription was deployed with the information generated subjected to content analysis. The findings indicate that there is salinity intrusion in the study area, which is revealed in different points along the Pangani River where measurements were taken between 0 and 11,000 meters. The salinity level was increasing upstream, at 0metre it was 34ppt for both high and low oceanic tides whereas at 11,000 metres it was 12 ppt for high oceanic tides. The causes of salinity intrusion were found to be human activities (68.8% of the respondents), sea level rise (89.1%) and oceanic tides (100%). Salinity intrusion impacted socio-economic activities (93.8%), ecosystem (100%) and fresh water (100%). Suggested adaptation measures include coastal management (68.8%), intervention in socio-economic activities (93.8%) and measures for getting fresh water (100%). Adaptation measures were accompanied by benefits such as saving money (100%), saving time (100%) and reducing salinity intrusion (70.3%). The adaptation measures faced some challenges such as unprecedented impacts of climate change and variability (100% of the respondents) and politics (67.2%). On the basis of these findings the study recommends for the construction of a dam and provision of adaptation trainings.