The 'Majaluba' rice production system: A rainwater harvesting 'Bright Spot' in Tanzania

John Gowing; Lisa Bunclark; Henry Mahoo; Frederick Kahimba

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-66239-8_16

The 'Majaluba' rice production system: A rainwater harvesting 'Bright Spot' in Tanzania

John Gowing, Lisa Bunclark, Henry Mahoo, Frederick Kahimba

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The rainwater harvesting technique under consideration here is an example of intermediate-scale external catchment runoff harvesting. The focus for discussion is on the 'majaluba' system which is found in Tanzania and comprises a network of roughly level basins each surrounded by an earth bund. Basins are arranged in the landscape in order to collect local runoff from stony outcrops and grazing lands in upslope areas with cattle tracks often used as conduits. The 'majaluba' system is used primarily for the production of rainfed lowland rice. It has spread through autonomous diffusion of knowledge from farmer to farmer since its introduction in the 1930s. The estimated extent of this system is around 600,000 ha which contributes 60% of total rice production in Tanzania. This is a remarkable, but little known, success story, and represents a water harvesting 'bright spot,' where sustainable intensification of smallholder agriculture has been achieved at scale.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Rainwater-Smart Agriculture in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas
Subtitle of host publication	Fostering the Use of Rainwater for Food Security, Poverty Alleviation, Landscape Restoration and Climate Resilience
Publisher	Springer International Publishing
Pages	303-321
Number of pages	19
ISBN (Electronic)	9783319662398
ISBN (Print)	9783319662381
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66239-8_16
State	Published - 28 Dec 2017
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Agriculture
Meso-catchment Runoff harvesting
Sustainable intensification
Technology adoption

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-319-66239-8_16

Cite this

Gowing, J., Bunclark, L., Mahoo, H., & Kahimba, F. (2017). The 'Majaluba' rice production system: A rainwater harvesting 'Bright Spot' in Tanzania. In Rainwater-Smart Agriculture in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas: Fostering the Use of Rainwater for Food Security, Poverty Alleviation, Landscape Restoration and Climate Resilience (pp. 303-321). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66239-8_16

Gowing, John ; Bunclark, Lisa ; Mahoo, Henry et al. / The 'Majaluba' rice production system : A rainwater harvesting 'Bright Spot' in Tanzania. Rainwater-Smart Agriculture in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas: Fostering the Use of Rainwater for Food Security, Poverty Alleviation, Landscape Restoration and Climate Resilience. Springer International Publishing, 2017. pp. 303-321

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Gowing, J, Bunclark, L, Mahoo, H & Kahimba, F 2017, The 'Majaluba' rice production system: A rainwater harvesting 'Bright Spot' in Tanzania. in Rainwater-Smart Agriculture in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas: Fostering the Use of Rainwater for Food Security, Poverty Alleviation, Landscape Restoration and Climate Resilience. Springer International Publishing, pp. 303-321. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66239-8_16

The 'Majaluba' rice production system: A rainwater harvesting 'Bright Spot' in Tanzania. / Gowing, John; Bunclark, Lisa; Mahoo, Henry et al.
Rainwater-Smart Agriculture in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas: Fostering the Use of Rainwater for Food Security, Poverty Alleviation, Landscape Restoration and Climate Resilience. Springer International Publishing, 2017. p. 303-321.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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AB - The rainwater harvesting technique under consideration here is an example of intermediate-scale external catchment runoff harvesting. The focus for discussion is on the 'majaluba' system which is found in Tanzania and comprises a network of roughly level basins each surrounded by an earth bund. Basins are arranged in the landscape in order to collect local runoff from stony outcrops and grazing lands in upslope areas with cattle tracks often used as conduits. The 'majaluba' system is used primarily for the production of rainfed lowland rice. It has spread through autonomous diffusion of knowledge from farmer to farmer since its introduction in the 1930s. The estimated extent of this system is around 600,000 ha which contributes 60% of total rice production in Tanzania. This is a remarkable, but little known, success story, and represents a water harvesting 'bright spot,' where sustainable intensification of smallholder agriculture has been achieved at scale.

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Gowing J, Bunclark L, Mahoo H, Kahimba F. The 'Majaluba' rice production system: A rainwater harvesting 'Bright Spot' in Tanzania. In Rainwater-Smart Agriculture in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas: Fostering the Use of Rainwater for Food Security, Poverty Alleviation, Landscape Restoration and Climate Resilience. Springer International Publishing. 2017. p. 303-321 doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-66239-8_16

The 'Majaluba' rice production system: A rainwater harvesting 'Bright Spot' in Tanzania

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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