As cities across Tanzania like Dodoma and Arusha experience rapid development and population growth, one major challenge facing much of the country’s urban population has been the lack of access to reliable transport infrastructure. In Dodoma, for instance, more than 80 percent of roads are unpaved.

While national investments in the transport sector have been significant, these have often been poorly coordinated and, at times, lacked strong enough consideration for the impacts posed by intensifying disaster and climate risks. As prior analytical work supported by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction for Recovery (GFDRR) has revealed, road and bridge construction practices in Tanzania have, at times, exacerbated the risks posed by flooding which is, by far, the most frequent natural hazard in the country.

In response to these challenges, GFDRR has been providing support to Tanzania in deepening its understanding of the resilience challenges facing the transport sector, enabling the country and its development partners to better tackle those challenges. This support has been provided through the Japan-World Bank Program for Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management in Developing Countries (Japan Program).

GFDRR has recently focused its support toward a comprehensive resilience assessment of urban transport networks in two cities, Dodoma and Arusha. By utilizing flood hazard modeling and analysis and transport network analysis, among other methods, the assessment has unearthed several key findings which are expected to inform resilience planning and investment for urban transport in the two Tanzanian cities.

“Flood resilience studies allow city planners to map out zones most prone to flooding. This helps prioritize infrastructure upgrades, adjust land uses … The studies allow us to make eco-friendly planning, such as protecting natural floodplains, restoring wetlands, or installing green roofs, making cities more adaptable to climate change.”

Eng. Mgesi Nyahende, City Council of Dodoma

Among others, the assessment revealed that 10.5 percent of the road network in Dodoma would likely be affected by an extreme flood event, and also identified the five wards in the city which are likely to be most affected.  Road transport is the dominant means of transportation both within and outside Dodoma.

Even at this early stage of disseminating the findings from the analytical work, these are already beginning to drive and inform efforts by Tanzania and its development partners to strengthen resilient transport in Dodoma and Arusha. For instance, the analytical work in Dodoma has informed the preparation of the $200 million Dodoma Integrated and Sustainable Transport (DIST) project, which was approved by the World Bank Board in March 2025. Expected to benefit more than 430,000 residents, the climate-smart project will improve resilient urban mobility in Dodoma through upgrading selected corridors, access routes, and enhanced walking and cycling infrastructure, among other interventions. In the process,  it will also create over 10,000 new jobs by 2030, while boosting Dodoma’s economic output by 2%.

GFDRR support for resilient transportation in Tanzania is only one among the facility’s engagements in the East African country. Through the Japan Program, for example, GFDRR has been supporting water resilience and drought preparedness in Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam, while also advancing efforts to identify and manage disaster and climate risks to dam infrastructure across the country.