Water Resilient Green Cities in Africa Research Project Climate change urban vulnerability and green structures : Barriers & opportunities for low income communities
Urbanization vs vulnerability of low income communities in Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam s land uses and water distribution system Typical challenges Over 60 per cent of the housing comprises informal settlements Lack of basic infrastructural services e.g. water, sanitation services, stormwater drains Encroachment of buildings into fragile ecosystems Soil erosion (rivers banks and roads) aggravated by housing development Loss of livelihoods assets and property during intense rainfall and floods
The Trail of Climate change in Dar es Salaam Like most African cities, impacts of climate change and variability in Dar es Salaam include:- Increased frequency of coastal flooding Variability and intensity of rainfall Frequent occurrence of fluvial and pluvial floods Drought, salination of groundwater sources and loss of green structures Heat Islands Source: Start, 2010
Urban vulnerability to floods Urban vulnerabilities in Dar es Salaam Informal settlements in fragile settlements Pollution of water sources Water shortages, scarcity Soil erosion (rivers banks and roads) Increased temperature (UHI) Increased air pollution Loss of urban amenities Disruption and loss of livelihoods (during flood incidences) Outbreak of waterborne diseases especially in low-income areas
Urbanization, climate change, vulnerability and resilience Politicians Experts Researchers Activists CBOs FBOs Climate change Factors that include risk for urban poor include: Urban poverty- limited economic base i.e. irregular incomes and assets Deficiencies in risk-reducing infrastructure and services Enhancing urban resilience yields 3 dividends for urban poor:- 1. Saving lives and avoiding losses 2. Unlocking economic potentials 3. Generating development cobenefits Source (Tanner et al, 2015) Urban sprawl Modified from IPCC, (2014)
Key research problem issues
Water Resilient Green Cities in Africa Project The main objective project is to increase urban resilience by exploring and adapting options for Landscape based Stormwater Management (LSM) and concurrently addressing challenges such as improved water supply and enhanced green structures for urban agriculture.
Conceptual entry point for WGA project: Storm water management Decreasing Vulnerability Increasing Vulnerability More in urban landscape for greening & reuse of storm water Harvesting Building Parcel Neighbourhood Infiltration Valley River Detention Preferred Less preferred Retention Evapotranspiration Drainage
Enhance urban agriculture Reduce flood risk Minimize air pollution Reduce UHI Key Synergies of LSM Reduce water pollution Lessen drought season Water (re)source Enhance urban amenity
Improving Stormwater management: Promoting options for water and livelihoods in informal settlement (Goba Kibululu) In order to identify challenges in Goba Kibululu, a Design Charette Design Charette approach was adopted. Design Charette is a participatory planning instrument meant to facilitate a multi-level and multi-sectoral collaborative process The community actively involved in identifying problems of water scacity and storm water management Co production of options/opportunities already being used at household level. e.g. rainwater harvesting, retention ponds for fish farming, terracing and the use of green structures to check erosion.
Opportunities in the study area Potential champions individual community members practicing LSM and ready to learn more about and adopt LSM approaches Open areas available for LSM interventions limited (downstream) but extensive green areas (upstream and midstream) Community members and groups engaged in water harvesting, urban gardening and fish farming Expand existing LSM related local practices and norms that are used to cope with flooding and address water scarcity at household levels Limited Urban gardening activities at household level Water scarcity Existing women association actively involved in LSM / environmental management
Barriers and challenges High capital cost for RWH infrastructure/facilities Small plots size to accommodate water storage/harvesting facilities Variability of rainfall events and rainfall intensities Poor tenants-landlords relations Fast deterioration of the rainwater quality Private land rights claims over fragile/conservation areas Poor understanding and enforcement of the existing environmental bylaws (EMA)
Output of community planning: A Catchment Strategy Kibululu
Communication, Linkages with the community & stakeholders Communication with stakeholders: charrette training-co-production of issues and solutions Municipal, technical community working teams: engineers, planners, environmentalists, economists and local authorities Monitoring of strategies adopted by community
The future of Dar es Salaam hinges on engendering City resilience to the urbanization and climate change footprint