Clay Tuttle
EE09 Semester Assignment
8/5/16
Interview on local People’s Climate Change Experiences
Clay Tuttle
Rhotia
8/4/16 at 4:30
Interviewee: Papa Peuse, Male, 44
Occupation: Subsistence farmer, has lived in Rhotia since 1995
Location: Less than a half kilometer from SFS camp
Questions and Answers

Has the temperature decreased or increased since you’ve lived here? It is
hotter now and until 10 years ago it was very dry. What about the amount of
rainfall? It will be three years normal rainfall and three years dry. But overall,
normal.

Have wildlife patterns changed since you’ve been here? Yes. The animal
corridor from Ngorongoro to Manyara is now settled by farmers with farms
and houses. So the animals do not move anymore. Twenty years ago, Moyo Hill
was elephant corridor and the next village was buffalo corridor. They used to
go to Lake Manyara to get minerals and then go back.

Has the number of diseases on crops increased or decreased? Yes. Beans have
been affected by Chule, Baka Pembe, Kuvu Nyeupe, and Minyoo fundo. Maize
have been affected by Funza wa miche ya maharagwe, Inzi mweupe, Vidukari,
and Funza wa vitumba vya maharagwe. Maize on my farm have sumukuv, but
can be avoided if you cook it well. The radio said 14 people died in the next
region from liver trouble because of sumukuv. Has that caused crop yields to
decrease? Yields have decreased. How has this affected the soil in the area?
The soil has decreased in quality because of a lack in agricultural education,
erosion, and water.

What about diseases on livestock? Livestock diseases have decreased because
the number of livestock has decreased. Also, farmers and pastoralists are
Clay Tuttle
EE09 Semester Assignment
8/5/16
keeping and feeding their animals in the home. This prevents the spread of
disease.

Have there been more trees planted in this area? Lots of trees planted in the
area. In 1995, the area was plain with no trees. If you build a house, you plant a
tree because people like trees and are educated to do so. Also, you plant trees to
mark your property and to benefit the environment.

Are there more or less people moving into Rhotia? Lots of people are moving
to Rhotia from next region over for jobs, cultivation, and an attractive
environment with a colder climate at higher altitude.

Has there been a change in the crops grown here since you’ve moved here?
Rhotia is a wheat area, now it is not. Caused by a climate shift and soil
problems. Maize grows better now. Are there any new varieties of wheat in
the area? No, farmers use local seeds. The government should give people new
seed varieties because it would grow better here and be better for the soil.

Has the number of livestock changed in the past twenty years? Yes. More
people are moving to Rhotia so there is less room for livestock to graze.

Has the use of forest materials decreased or increased? People used to
cultivate and deforest trees for houses and farms, now people use bricks rather
than trees for houses. What about hunting? Decreased, there used to be a lot of
Dikdiks but not anymore because increased number of houses. Has the
dependence on wild plants decreased also? Some people use wild plants as
medicine, but decreasing because of better infrastructure (there is a hospital
nearby) and better education.

Are there ever elephants in Rhotia? Every evening if you live near Ngorongoro
forest, elephants are there and cause problems destroying crops. Elephants also
cross through corridor to Manyara. In 2010, six elephants crossed through
Rhotia in afternoon. But now farmers have fences so they won’t do that
anymore.
Clay Tuttle
EE09 Semester Assignment
8/5/16

What is the water situation in Rhotia? There is less water in Rhotia because we
use old infrastructure for water, our water source was built in 1967 and can’t
handle increased population from 1967 to now.