Dar es Salaam. A $1.2 million investment by a commercial farm in Kilimanjaro has cut water losses and reduced irrigation-related greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 75 percent, offering a model for balancing agricultural production with conservation of shared water resources.
African Plantations Kilimanjaro (APK) has replaced its traditional open-furrow irrigation system with a piped network that uses gravity to transport water from the Weruweru River to its 450-hectare Lambo Estate in Machame.
The upgrade has improved water delivery efficiency while reducing reliance on diesel-powered pumps through the adoption of sprinkler and linear irrigation systems.
According to a report by the Natural Resources Stewardship Programme II (NatuReS II), the changes have reduced irrigation-related greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 75 percent.
The investment is particularly significant for communities and smallholder farmers who depend on the Weruweru River for agriculture, household consumption and other livelihood activities.
APK Project Manager Gabriel Kagume said the decision was driven by the need to maintain commercial production while improving water and energy efficiency and strengthening resilience to climate change.
‘For us, this was not simply about changing an irrigation system. We were looking at how we could continue producing commercially while reducing our dependence on diesel, using water more efficiently and becoming more resilient to the climate change pressures facing the catchment,’ he said.
The investment was undertaken through APK’s participation in the Sustainable Water Management Partnership for the Weruweru sub-catchment (SUWAMA Weruweru).
The association brings together businesses, public institutions, schools, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to address competing demands on water resources.
The partnership includes 14 participating institutions and stakeholders, among them the Pangani Basin Water Board, APK and Dekker Chrysanten.
It provides a platform for discussions on water planning, governance, agricultural requirements, domestic consumption and environmental protection.
Jacob Mallya, chairman of the Weruweru River and a local resident, said improved water conveyance had helped build confidence among users, particularly during dry periods when demand for the resource increases.
‘When a lot of water was lost before reaching the farms, we could feel the pressure, especially during the dry season.
Today, when water is conveyed more efficiently, there is greater confidence that the resource can be shared more fairly,’ he said.
He said the river supported not only commercial farming but also communities whose livelihoods depended on its water.
‘When we use water more efficiently, the wider community can benefit,’ he said, calling for collective responsibility in protecting the resource.
Beyond improving irrigation efficiency, the partnership also supports community-led environmental restoration.
One beneficiary is Violeth Rabson, a 49-year-old farmer from Machame who has planted and maintained approximately 2,100 trees along the Weruweru River to help restore riverbanks and protect the water source.
She participated in the Green Recovery: Launching the Pay to Grow Model project, implemented by Kijani Pamoja through SUWAMA Weruweru with support from GIZ NatuReS II.
The initiative links financial incentives to tree survival, with participants receiving payments based on the number of trees that remain alive.
Under the performance-based arrangement, Ms Rabson receives Sh400 for every surviving tree every three months.
According to the programme report, the additional income has enabled her to invest in farming, purchase livestock and support her son’s education, illustrating how environmental conservation can also improve household livelihoods.
The irrigation upgrade has also delivered measurable climate benefits. The NatuReS II report estimates that the farm avoids approximately 12.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per hectare annually, translating into about 5,760 tonnes across its 450 hectares.
NatuReS II, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by the German development agency GIZ, supported partnerships in the Weruweru area of Kilimanjaro and Usa River in Arusha.
The programme ran in Tanzania from September 2023 to October 2026, addressing shared environmental challenges, including water scarcity, pollution, competing demands for water and catchment degradation.