Wading out the storm: The role of poverty in exposure, vulnerability and resilience to floods in Dar Es Salaam

Dar es Salaam is frequently affected by severe flooding causing destruction and impeding the daily life of its 4.5 million inhabitants. In this context, a better understanding of current flood risks and consequences on the livelihoods and well-being of the population is highly policy relevant. This note provides new insights into the consequences of floods in Dar es Salaam, based on two rounds of surveys conducted as part of the Tanzanian Urban Resilience Program (TURP).

The results show that more people than previously thought are exposed to floods in Dar es Salaam and that the poor are disproportionately affected. This note focuses in particular on the interplay between poverty and flood risks. It explores first the role of poverty in exposure – who is affected by floods? – and then in vulnerability – how much do people lose in floods? – and finally in socioeconomic resilience – to what extent are the affected people able to cope with and recover from floods in the city of Dar es Salaam?