Africa’s Smart Coastal City: Nature-based Solution

Dar es Salaam, the major port city in Tanzania, is experiencing rapid population growth and urbanization. About 70% of urban development in Dar es Salaam is unplanned, and a quarter of the population resides in the Msimbazi River basin and its tributaries. Consequently, the loss of drinking water and fertile floodplains for agriculture has occurred, and the city faces recurrent floods that cause damage to infrastructure, lives, and the environment.

To address these issues, the Msimbazi Opportunity Plan (MOP) was developed in 2018 through collaboration among various stakeholders. The plan focuses on flood attenuation and ecological restoration and is part of the Tanzania Urban Resilience Program, supported by the World Bank and the UK's Department for International Development. The MOP includes four core strategies: mitigation of flood hazards, protection through resettlement, transformation of flood-prone areas into a city park, and governance to control urbanization. The plan involves upstream reforestation, river channel widening and dredging, improved land use planning and solid waste management, and restoration of wetlands and mangroves in the lower basin. Urban adaptation solutions include creating commercial, recreational, and housing areas on cleared flood plains using dredged material. 

The MOP has already made progress in collecting hazard-related data and mapping assets along the river. It also aligns with broader initiatives such as the Trillion Trees and AFR100 projects, particularly in the reforestation efforts in the Pugu-Kazimzumbwi natural forests. The collaborative approach of the MOP will continue, and early achievements are expected in the coming years. The plan includes the resettlement of households from informal settlements in the lower basin and the provision of affordable housing units.

Reference:

Gajjar, S. (2020). Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change in Coastal Cities.