The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology,
Arusha
Brasil
Research Article
The Need to Enforce Minimum Environmental Flow Requirements in Tanzania to Preserve Estuaries: Case Study of the Mangrove-Fringed Wami River Estuary
Author(s): Halima Kiwango, Karoli N. Njau and Eric WolanskiHalima Kiwango, Karoli N. Njau and Eric Wolanski
The importance of restoring and maintaining environmental flows for sustaining the ecosystem integrity of rivers and estuaries has been recognized and given proper attention in policies and legal frameworks in many countries including Tanzania. The Wami River estuary is small but it plays a vital role in processing riverine nutrients, in trapping sediment, in recycling nutrients in the mangroves, and in supporting the ecology of the Saadani National Park and the livelihood of the local communities. The proper functioning of this estuary to a large extent depends on adequate supply of freshwater flows. Our studies reveal that currently the estuary is ecologically healthy but it is threatened by both increasing sedimentation and declining freshwater flow caused by decreasing rainfall - possibly linked with climate change - and by increasing water demand in the watershed for artisanal an.. Read More»
DOI:
10.4172/2157-7587.1000205
Hydrology: Current Research received 2843 citations as per Google Scholar report