Feasibility Study of the Kisegese Irrigation Scheme

The project area is approximately 30 square kilometers and is located in the Kilombero District. The project aims to provide irrigation water to approximately 1,500 hectares of land, benefiting around 2,500 farmers. The project boundaries have been defined to avoid encroaching on intact wetlands and the Kilombero Game Controlled Area (KGCA). A land use/cover mapping exercise was conducted to identify the locations of intact wetlands in the study area, and the project boundaries were adjusted to exclude these areas. The KGCA is a protected area that is home to a variety of wildlife, including elephants, buffaloes, and antelopes. The Ruipa Wildlife Corridor, which is approximately 30 kilometers long and 0.5 kilometers wide, passes through the project area. However, follow-up wildlife surveys conducted in 2010 showed that the corridor was no longer a viable migratory route for large mammals. The conservation community has shifted its efforts to protecting the Mwanihana-Magombera corridor, which is located northeast of the Ruipa Wildlife Corridor and is dominated by sugarcane cultivation. The project area is home to a variety of plant species, with 129 species identified during a flora survey. None of the species are threatened or endangered. The project boundaries have been defined to encompass primarily agricultural land, and it is unlikely that project implementation would significantly impact native vegetation. The area is not currently used extensively by mammals, and it is unlikely that implementation of the Kisegese Irrigation Scheme would significantly impact mammals. The Kilombero Valley is designated as an Important Bird Area, and a regional survey conducted in 1997 identified 373 species of birds, including one endangered species, four near threatened species, and one vulnerable species. The vulnerable species and one of the near threatened species are endemic and primarily swamp dwellers. The endangered species and the other three near threatened species are resident or migratory and use swamp, forest, and riparian habitats, all of which are outside of the project area. The project team collected water quality data during high and low flow periods, sampling for several parameters that will serve as baselines for future assessments of the impacts of cultivation on water quality. Two socio-economic studies were conducted in the Kisegese study area in 2014-15, generating a significant amount of data on demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the affected communities. The studies identified several issues of concern, including the need to collect upstream and downstream data on nitrogen and phosphorus, solicit information about environmental concerns from participants at institutional meetings and public meetings, and collect additional socio-economic information.