Blog Archives

Upstream Impacts on Lower Mara River

In any shared basin there are upstream and downstream impacts that can affect users of the shared water resources. These impacts, sometimes called “drivers”, range from policy and economic activity, to pollution and diversion actions. The Mau Forest Complex, the largest

Posted in agriculture, basin management, communities, culture, economics, ecosystems, environment, Mara River basin, natural resources, non-river resources, sustainable water, water resources, water security, wildlife

Subsistence Economies on the Mara River

The SELVA team found on our fieldtrip in March 2016, that subsistence communities are the majority of stakeholders in the lower Mara River Basin in Tanzania. Subsistence is an economic term that refers to when a person or people work to

Posted in agriculture, communities, economics, environment, fish, Kurya, Mara River basin, mining, natural resources, non-river resources, SELVA, sustainable water, Tanzania, water resources

Deforestation in the Mara River Basin

Deforestation is a global problem that causes myriad problems for wildlife, water, people, climate, you name it. The deforestation has caused erosion into the Mara River, a process by which topsoil and other materials are washed into tributaries and the

Posted in agriculture, basin management, communities, ecosystems, environment, fish, Lake Victoria, Mara River basin, natural resources, non-river resources, SELVA, Serengeti, wildlife

The Great Land Migration and the Mara River

Every year over 2,000,000 animals travel almost 3,000 kilometers between the Masai Mara Natural Reserve in Kenya and the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania every year. This is known as the great migration and is one of the biggest in number of

Posted in communities, ecosystems, environment, information, Mara River basin, natural resources, non-river resources, SELVA, Serengeti, Tanzania, water resources, wildlife

Erosion in the Mara River Basin

Erosion is a major challenge to the Mara River Basin, as identified by the Lake Victoria Basin Water Offices (LVBWO) in Mwanza. The SELVA team, working with the Tanzanian Ministry of Water in Dar es Salaam and the LVBWO, looked

Posted in agriculture, basin management, communities, environment, fish, Lake Victoria, Mara River basin, mining, natural resources, non-river resources, SELVA, sustainable water, water resources

Agriculture in the Lower Mara Basin

  The SELVA team observed and discussed agricultural practices with locals throughout the Lower Mara River Basin in Tanzania. We were visiting at the tale end of the dry season (March) and talked with farmers harvesting fruit and vegetables to consume

Posted in agriculture, basin management, communities, culture, environment, Lake Victoria, Mara River basin, natural resources, non-river resources, Tanzania, water resources, water security

Mining in the Lower Mara River Basin

Mining activity in the Mara River Basin impacts the soil, water, and people. Gold is the most valuable and predominant mining focus and gold mining processes involve toxic chemicals in both the small- and large-scale operations. If you were following

Posted in communities, environment, gold, Mara River basin, mining, natural resources, non-river resources, SELVA, Tanzania

Local Importance of the Mara River

The Mara River holds essential important because it is a water resource for local human and ecological communities. As a water resource, the Mara provides year round, albeit inconsistent, flow. The river reflects seasonal flow and level fluctuations due to whether it is

Posted in agriculture, communities, culture, ecosystems, environment, fish, Lake Victoria, Mara River basin, natural resources, non-river resources, SELVA, Serengeti, sustainable water, Tanzania, water resources, water security

River Resources Beyond Water

People living along rivers use more than just the water for livelihoods around the world. In the Lower Mara River Basin, people fish, harvest plants and trees, hunt, and mine. The SELVA team identified these resources that are termed non-river resources.

Posted in agriculture, communities, ecosystems, environment, Mara River basin, natural resources, non-river resources, SELVA, Tanzania