Doing drainage differently: Tackling urban flooding in the future mega-city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
identify · Emerging technologies · risk assessment · data · earth observations
Every year floods in the Msimbazi River Valley in Dar es Salaam result in deaths and millions of dollars of infrastructure and economic losses. The Msimbazi Valley is a strategically important area in the city. Two of four of Dar es Salaam’s main traffic arteries cross the main flood plain; communities at the lower reaches of the river depend on close access to Dar es Salaam’s central business district for their livelihoods; and the river catchment includes significant environmental assets, including protected forest areas, wetlands and mangrove forests.
The session will present a comprehensive participatory driven, scientifically validated, and economically verified approach to manage flooding, improve mobility, reclaim land and protect the environment. The presenters will showcase a nearly two-year long process of developing a blueprint for the regeneration of 400 hectares of land located in the Central Business District of Dar es Salaam. This blueprint is a product of a consultative process that brought together more than 250 stakeholders from 59 institutions; and was informed by an extensive data collection, modeling and technical studies. The session will also share a real estate market analysis for residential, retail and office space and the overall economic benefits of this comprehensive regeneration and creation of the largest urban park in the region.
Organizer: World Bank
Partner Organization: President’s Office – Regional Administration for Local Government & Dar es Salaam City Council
