This report, part of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign by UNISDR, provides an in-depth analysis showing how the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is resilient to disasters. The information was generated by the city council using the HFA-LGSAT self-assessment tool, which uses a ‘ten essentials’ thematic framework focused on improving cities disaster resilience. The paper begins with the background and aims of the study, and an overall assessment of the city council. A literature review then explores the geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic profiles of the city, as well as the potential impacts of climate change. The methodology for the collection of data on resilience is provided, followed by the data itself and the subsequent analysis. The paper finishes with a summary of study’s conclusions and recommendations: (1) There is no institutional framework in place at the local government level dedicated to DRR, and the existing national disaster committee lacks capacity. (2) The city council lacks any form of disaster database to track loss and vulnerability, though there are organisations within Der es Salaam that have this data available. (3) Drainage represents the biggest challenge; major upgrades are required to reduce flood risk, a project that is already in planning stages. Additionally, unplanned settlements are creating concerns regarding waste management. (4) A small number of schools constructed on the flood riverine areas are still affected by flooding, but the council lack the necessary resources to sustain adequate monitoring. (5) A communication strategy is required to enforce suitable building codes, and disaster awareness training must be scaled up. (6) Tsunami protection is diminishing due to continued destruction of mangroves for house building and charcoal burning. (7) Work has begun on establishing an emergency centre to address the lack of early warning systems in Dar es Salaam. (8) Recovery and reconstruction capacity is inadequate; immediate relief funds can be accessed from national government, but community organisations play the key-role long-term. (9) A consultative and holistic approach should be taken to improve DRR technical skills within the council itself.

Publication date
Type of publication
Document
Objective
Adaptation
Collection
Eldis
CTCN Keyword Matches
Disaster risk reduction
Mitigation in the pulp and paper industry
Public water conservation campaigns
Flow-through dam for flood control