Reserve Monitoring Program and Adaptive Management Plan for the Rufiji Basin, Tanzania

The reserve is a set of flow values defined over a year at a specific location(s) across a river basin, intended to meet basic human needs and protect aquatic ecosystems. The Reserve Monitoring Program and Adaptive Management Plan is intended to support management by providing current information about the river basin that can inform decision-making related to the reserve. The Reserve Monitoring Program is specifically structured to provide information that will inform decision makers and improve the management of the reserve. It provides details on objectives and indicators for each key component, as well as monitoring methods, locations, timing & frequency, responsibilities, trigger values and potential adaptive management actions. The Reserve Monitoring Program was developed in collaboration with academic, agency, and EFA experts to ensure a strong scientific connection to environmental flow science as well as with RBWB staff to ensure the plan is implementable and appropriate for the Rufiji Basin. Twenty-one reserve monitoring sites were selected from the existing RBWB monitoring network, with a sub-set of eight selected as reserve management sites for applying adaptive management. A map of the reserve monitoring sites and reserve management sites is presented in Figure ES-2. A summary of the monitoring activities can be found in Table ES-1. The Reserve Monitoring Program includes continuous monitoring activities, low flow monitoring activities, and high flow monitoring activities, as well as expert evaluation and reporting requirements. The Reserve Adaptive Management Plan utilizes the data collected through the Reserve Monitoring Program to help guide and initiate management decisions. There are two adaptive management cycles that apply to the reserve: the reserve determination process and the reserve implementation process. The reserve determination process involves defining reserve values using environmental flow science and a water allocation planning process, while the reserve implementation process involves utilizing both short-term adaptive management and long-term adaptive management to improve the reserve recommendations using updated scientific knowledge. The Reserve Monitoring Program and Adaptive Management Plan has three components: an objectives hierarchy specific to the reserve in the Rufiji Basin, a multi-level monitoring program, and adaptive management cycles. The objectives hierarchy provides the foundation for determining the reserve management objectives, the Reserve Monitoring Program provides specific guidance on collecting data important for decision-making, and the Reserve Adaptive Management Plan utilizes these data to help guide and initiate management decisions. The Reserve Monitoring Program and Adaptive Management Plan is intended to be a "living document" and should be updated in the future (e.g., every five years) to incorporate efficiencies and "lessons learned" as the Reserve Monitoring Program and Adaptive Management Plan is implemented. The plan outlines roles and responsibilities within the RBWB and data collection, evaluation, and reporting requirements.