Evaluation of Land Suitability for Surface Irrigation in Kilosa District, Morogoro, Tanzania

The increasing demand for land resources to support a growing global population necessitates the optimization of land utilization for food and essential resources. Efficient land planning is critical, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where only a small portion of cultivated land is irrigated. This study focused on evaluating land suitability for surface irrigation in Kilosa district located in Tanzania, which has significant potential for paddy production. Utilizing the GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) approach, the study evaluated climatic factors, topography, soil properties, river proximity and land use/cover. Data from CHIRPS and ERA5 Ag datasets were utilized as a representative of ground data for precipitation and temperature respectively, revealing their suitability for long-term climate analysis. The factors were categorized for land suitability for surface irrigation, indicating that a majority of the area is moderately suitable. Land use/cover analysis identified significant portions as either not suitable or marginally suitable, with cultivated land being highly suitable. Overall, 16.23% (242,119.14 ha) of the district is highly suitable for Surface irrigation, 37.13% (553,905.34 ha) is moderately suitable, 43.72% (652,214.96 ha) is marginally suitable while the remaining area 2.92% (43,560.56 ha) is not suitable. The verified suitability maps demonstrate reliable use for irrigation strategic planning through both current and planned National Irrigation Master Plan (NIMP) revisions.