Dar es Salaam faces unique challenges due to its coastal location and rapid urbanization. The loss of green spaces to hard surfaces like roads has led to increasing temperatures, increased runoff during rainstorms, erosion, and reduced recharge of the aquifers used for water supply. Future flood modeling indicates that both urbanization and climate change will exacerbate flood risks.

To help address this, the “Planning and Policies for Resilience in Dar es Salaam” project is providing technical support to develop guidelines and training for risk-informed design of current and future infrastructure in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza.

This work in Tanzania is part of the Enhancing Urban Resilience in Dar es Salaam initiative, launched in late 2023 under the Africa Caribbean Pacific–European Union (ACP-EU) Disaster Risk Management Program, a trust fund under the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR).

Early Results

Initial results include a stock take of infrastructure construction standards and an in-depth report reviewing relevant by-laws in Dar es Salaam. These efforts have delivered expert knowledge to government agencies and have created opportunities to convene all stakeholders in the city’s construction sector. 

In parallel, technical support is also contributing to the development of guidelines and policies for the future directly support the regional watershed plan for the entire Msimbazi Basin.

In the immediate term, this project is helping ensure the efficient implementation of the World Bank-funded Msimbazi Basin Development Project (MBDP). But its impact extends further: the work represents a test case for the enhanced integration of green infrastructure in government policies and practices, setting the stage for broader national benefits.

Scaling Up Through EU Support

A recent increase in funding from the French Development Agency and the World Bank is enabling the project to expand its scope and share lessons with other cities. This includes cities supported under the “Green and Smart Cities - SASA!” (SASA: Swahili term for “now”) Team Europe Initiative, in collaboration with the German Development Authority. The increase in funding also allows the project to expand the categories of green infrastructure it supports to include climate-resilient marketplaces.

By integrating climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction into national policies and investment planning, these projects are paving the way for sustainable urban growth and economic development across Africa.

Part of a Broader Vision

Through funding from the ACP-EU Disaster Risk Management Program, the World Bank is supporting countries across Africa to integrate resilience and climate change adaptation into national and local policymaking and investment planning. Current efforts focus on improving risk data collection and analysis, strengthening inclusive policymaking, and enhancing access to development finance.

So far, 15 grants are under implementation across the continent —12 in partner countries and three with regional economic communities: the Economic Community of Central African States, the Economic Community of West African States, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. Together, these projects represent a portfolio of €7.14 million.

While many initiatives are still in early stages, work in Dar es Salaam is already showing promising results. As a coastal capital critical to Tanzania’s economy and increasingly affected by storms and flooding, Dar es Salaam is demonstrating how climate risks can be managed more effectively through World Bank-led efforts funded by ACP-EU Disaster Risk Management Program under GFDRR, in close collaboration with the EU.