“The general trend of disasters in coastal cities has been towards an ever-increasing frequency of floods, which have claimed not only human lives, but also property and infrastructure. The city of Dar es Salaam has not been spared from these catastrophes over the past decades. This brief assesses the city’s level of preparedness in adapting to climate extremes and how it is managing human vulnerability. Essentially, the policies, strategies, plans and structures needed to support disaster management in Tanzania are in place. However, it remains clear that the local authorities and key disaster stakeholders lack financial and technical support to
properly implement the intended policies and strategic programmes set to cope with climate
change hazards. As in many cities in the developing world, the lower-income communities (urban poor) who live in flood-prone areas, remain highly vulnerable as they face greater risk. In order to adapt to climate variability and change, key elements needed to help reduce vulnerability include the mainstreaming of research and development, strict adherence to and proper implementation of enacted programmes, and ensuring proper service delivery.”
