By Felista Wiston
Climate change refers to the long term shifts in temperature and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gases as well as cutting down trees which increase heat – trapping greenhouse gases in the earth atmosphere which causes shortage of water, intensive drought and floods.
At Mbarali district in Mbeya region women were facing with water challenge especially who are living in the mountainous areas, which expected to increase health risks associated with safe and clean water problems like diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera because were using water from rivers which was not clean and safe. Tanzania Rural Women Assembly (TRWA) provides an opportunity for women especially rural women to participate in different activities including dialogues in order to develop and present issues to the decision makers regarding climate change particularly shortage of water for clarification, justification and resolution. Also these dialogues provide a chance for women to participate in different activities particularly planting trees as the strategy to mitigate climate change as well as to share the experience among them on how to mitigate the climate change for strategies multiplication in their location.
Impact:
Through this process; lead to significant increase of confidence to women to invite and discuss with decision makers from their location to demand for different services particularly clean and safe water, finally the government at district level drilled well in their location in order to supply water and get away from those challenges particularly diseases, also giving more chance to women to participate in other agriculture activities effectively because most of the time were using in searching water
Conclusion:
Finally; members recognised the forum because gave an opportunity to participate in the forum activities especially dialogues meetings which gave a confidence to meet and discuss with decision makers who supported them in drilling well in their location and get away from diseases and using most of time in other agriculture activities and improve food security in their families.
