**5. Conclusion**

*Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development*

their vulnerability and increase yields [31–33].

harnessed only 2% of the total irrigable land.

growing season.

insecurity in the country.

resources tenable for crop production.

**4.4 Changes in agricultural practice**

potential for agroforestry but it is least harnessed [27].

Therefore, a wide range of adaptation measures are considered in various areas of the country [5–10]. Some of the general adaptation measures taken across the country includes shifting cultivation (to more potential areas), adopting droughtresistant crops like cassava (*Manihot esculenta* C.), sesame (*Sesamum indicum* L.), and sweet potatoes (*Ipomea Batatas* L.), rice (*Oryza sativa L*.), banana (*Musa* Spp.), and maize (*Zea mays* L.) should be incorporated in irrigation agriculture to reduce

Another adaptation related to agricultural system is the change of agronomic practices [5–12]. In this aspect, the adaptation of conservation agricultural practices such as agroforestry, better crop rotation, mixed farming, and intercropping [15–20] will help to improve organic soil fertility, preferably soil carbon. This will increase crop yields and carbon sequestration of greenhouse gases. This goes together with the adoption of modern farming techniques, particularly irrigation [21, 22, 24–26]. Tanzania has done very little in irrigation agriculture because it has

Therefore, there is a need to work on it and increase the land under irrigation in order to curb all aspects of food insecurity in the country and increase the export of agricultural products. Similarly, early planting is adopted to curb the variation of onset and cessation of both rainy and dry seasons [26–29]. Erratic rainfall and the shift of onset has been a key problem in most areas in the country [15–18]. Despite the prediction that rainfall will increase in areas with bimodal rainfall pattern, these areas suffer the same problem of paradigm shift of the

In has been noted that most of the bimodal rainfall pattern have been experiencing unimodal rainfall with a great shift [4–8]. Meanwhile, experience from the field shows that the amount of rainfall has been changing in a roughly regular pattern. There have been roughly rotating patterns, that a year with low rainfall is followed by the year with high rainfall and vice versa [15–20]. Therefore, further adaptation strategies are needed to be accommodated as climate continues to change. We need to incorporate strong adaptation measures in the policy in order to curb food

Nonfarming practices can also help to strengthen the resilience of the people [26–29]. Diversified sectors such as commercial enterprises and employment just to mention a few, can help to reduce the dependence on the already stressed agroecosystems [30–33]. Therefore, diversification will enable the replenishment of the soil

Traditional agriculture has been in practice even before the Tanzanian independence [5–8]. Indigenous knowledge has been limited to solve complex challenges posed by climate change. It is obvious that the number of people has been increasing every year and the demand of food has been accruing too [8–11]. Sustainable agriculture is currently advocated in order to get duo benefits (environmental conservation and increased crop yields) at the same time [1–6]. It is a great challenge for the country with about 44 million hectares of fertile land; less than 24% of this resource is harnessed while the country experiences usual food

The adoption of modern farming methods especially irrigation agriculture can increase crop yield to curb food insecurity. Agroforestry system is less adopted in the country, compared to its needs. The Eastern Arc Mountain in Tanzania has the

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shortage [6–8].

Tanzanian agroecological zones (i.e., high and low potential zones) experience the impacts of climate change differently. Semiarid areas experience the impacts of climate change more severely than the alluvial plains. This happens because the former is a low potential zone while the latter is a high potential zone. The vulnerability of the people also depends on the resource entitlements and assets they possess. Overall, poor people have little options than the rich people.

The two categories are differentiated by financial assets. It has been obvious that the poor always live in the low potential zone where they get more challenges and therefore they need a quick rescue; otherwise, their livelihood options are limited. Similarly, they can seek livelihood options by inserting more stress to the already affected environments. They move from the stressed areas to other areas where they end up degrading too.

This study recommends that farmers with weak adaptive capacity should be carefully and immediately attended to; otherwise, their livelihood options can further destroy the environment. The increase in awareness to local farmers in searching for sustainable livelihood options would be more secure to the environment. Similarly, relevant policies should clearly include practical adaptations of the vulnerable societies.
