Abstract

This paper provides a highlight of the existing local community adaptation strategies that fishing communities in Rufiji Basin, in Tanzania, are employing to counteract the negative impacts of climate change and climate variability. Data were collected through key informants interviews, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews using a structured questionnaire that was administered to 120 household heads from two fishing communities (marine and freshwater resources communities). Findings indicate that, communities have acknowledge existence of a significant change in rainfall patterns, wind direction and duration, temperature and variation in seasons. These have resulted into disappearance of some fish species and fish production in terms of lowering catches. Following the low catch and disappearance of some species, the fishing communities have developed some adaptation strategies including shifting to crop cultivation, fishing during both day and night, sailing long distances for fishing and zoning the fishing areas. From the findings obtained, a framework that integrates local communities’ effective copying strategies that has been indicated to work better in the area and interventions geared to influence policy and institutions that are dealing either directly or indirectly with the impact of climate change and climate variability is recommended to aid decision making that will ensure the impacts of climate change and climate variability is reduced for the good of the fishing communities.

Key words: Adaptation strategies, freshwater resources, marine resources