RCMRD/SERVIR-E&SA staff recently conducted capacity assessment for six institutions in Tanzania working with the Water Resources Integration Development Initiative (WARIDI) project. The main objective of the assessment was to establish current capacity of institutions to integrate Earth Observation information and geospatial

technologies in environmental management/water resources management and resilience to climate change.

SERVIR is collaborating with USAID/Tanzania’s WARIDI in applying expertise and tools to better understand climate change vulnerability and adaptation issues in the Wami-Ruvu and Rufiji river basins of southern Tanzania. This is a 5-year project providing support in water resources governance, water supply, sanitation and hygiene; and livelihoods to basin water boards, local governments and inhabitants of the two basins.

The participating institutions included; Presidents Office-Regional Administration and Local Government, Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Regional Secretariat-Iringa & Morogoro, National Environment Management Council, Rufiji Basin Water Board and Wami/Ruvu Basin Water Board.

The expected outputs for the assessment is a baseline report to be used by SERVIR-E&SA and WARIDI to improve the capacity of these institutions to integrate geospatial technologies in decision making on environmental management/water resources management and resilience to climate change. In addition, the assessment helped institutions identify activities to improve their capacity to integrate geospatial technology in decision making.

The assessment was facilitated by Joseph Murage, M & E Specialist, Lawrence Okello, Remote Sensing Specialist and Erneus Kaijage, Climate Change Specialist-WARIDI.

Content for this article provided by Joseph Murage M&E Specialist (RCMRD/SERVIREastern & Southern Africa) and Lawrence Okello, Remote sensing Specialist (RCMRD/SERVIREastern & Southern Africa).