Dynamics of Meteorological Drought and Coping Strategies: A Case of Misima Ward in Handeni District, Tanzania
Dynamics of Meteorological Drought and Coping Strategies
Keywords:
Drought, Coping strategies, Adaptation Strategies, community, livelihood, drought severityAbstract
Various drought assessment frameworks, such as Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI), Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), SPEI- Integrated Timescale (IT), and standardised soil moisture indices, do exist. However, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) advocates that the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) is the global standard meteorological drought monitoring technique. It has received little attention over other drought severity analysis techniques, compromising the credibility of information for drought monitoring purposes. This study uses SPI to analyse the frequency, severity, impacts, and adaptation strategies for meteorological droughts on livelihood activities in Misima Ward, Handeni District, Tanzania. Data were collected through document review, questionnaire, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and physical observations. The study reveals that Handeni experienced meteorological drought events between 1992 and 2022. The moderate drought years were 1993, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2020; severe drought years were 2005, 2009, 2019, and 2022; and extreme drought years were 1992, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009, and 2016. Households employed different coping and adaptation strategies such as selling assets, migration, food aid, looking for an alternative source of income, and reducing food consumption. The study recommends tailored training to age and education groups to enhance the coping and adaptation measures. The study also recommends the need for community-driven adaptation strategies to enhance resilience, including improved water management, livelihood diversification, and policy support.
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