DARAJA: Developing Risk Awareness Through Joint Action
‘Daraja’, meaning ‘bridge’ in Swahili, brings together the residents of informal settlements, national meteorological forecasters, city authorities and other actors to facilitate hazard awareness and improve climate resilience of vulnerable populations in informal settlements.
Description
Resurgence is a diverse team of meteorology, communication and urban climate resilience experts. We have all either grown up or spent a large part of our working lives in some of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world. We help cities and their communities protect themselves from the impacts of climate change. Likewise, we help weather forecasters and city planners transform data into informed climate action.
DARAJA aims to improve the climate resilience of vulnerable populations living in informal settlements in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya by building bridges between communities and weather and climate information providers. DARAJA is a ground-breaking city and community weather forecasting and early warning initiative and service. DARAJA has been delivered to date in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam by Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) in Nairobi, the Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) in Dar es Salaam, Resurgence, the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD), the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) and array of key local community partners, leaders and stakeholders.
DARAJA’s goal in East Africa is to strengthen the climate resilience of vulnerable populations living in informal settlements by improving their access to actionable weather, climate and early warning information. DARAJA helps to diagnose where blockages in information flows occur in these two cities. The approach provides trusted feedback loops that facilitate hazard awareness in informal settlements.
DARAJA has been financed and developed under the UK FCDO (UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) Met Office-led Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa (WISER) Programme. DARAJA is receiving additional support to scale out of Nairobi and Dar es Salaam into other global cities, from the EIT Climate-KIC, the EU‘s leading public private climate innovation partnership.
In 5 years DARAJA aims to be serving 250 million residents of informal settlements in 30 cities across the globe. DARAJA aims to make a significant contribution to the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) and its goal to make 1 billion people safer from climate disasters by 2025.
Did the Sendai Framework change or contribute to changes in your activities/organization? If so, how?
The Sendai Framework called to “invest in, develop, maintain and strengthen people-centred multi-hazard, multisectoral forecasting and early warning systems, disaster risk and emergency communications mechanisms, social technologies and hazard-monitoring telecommunications systems; develop such systems through a participatory process; tailor them to the needs of users, including social and cultural requirements, in particular gender; promote the application of simple and low-cost early warning equipment and facilities; and broaden release channels for natural disaster early warning information.” DARAJA contributes to this and other aspects of the Sendai Framework.
What led you to make this commitment/initiative?
What was your position before making this Voluntary Commitment / prior to the Sendai Framework?
Building upon the Sendai Framework, we are motivated by the impact of our work:
- Residents through DARAJA services now access advanced and accurate weather, early warning and climate information (typically reserved for those in the agriculture and maritime sector). In Nairobi’s informal settlements access has risen from 56% to 93% within 18 months;
- 98% of surveyed residents now take action to avoid household loss (e.g. clearing community drains) as a result of accessing DARAJA services;
- 72% of surveyed residents state that they avoided personal damage and loss due to early warning weather information provided via DARAJA (e.g. saving income, protecting their household, clothing, beds, furniture etc);
- The net potential economic benefits to both Nairobi and Dar es Salaam over the 2 year project, in a new report by a UK Met Office consultant economist, are estimated over 10 years to be US$24 million to US$43 million, against a total project cost of under US$1 million.
In 5 years the DARAJA service aims to be available for 250 million residents of informal settlements in 30 cities across the globe.
Deliverables and Progress report
Deliverables
Deliverables are the end-products of the initiative/commitment, which can include issuance of publications or knowledge products, outcomes of workshops, training programs, videos, links, photographs, etc.
A joint Resurgence-KDI-CCI research team working under DARAJA has carried out one of the most comprehensive mappings of information flows through the two cities to date, solely dedicated to access, uptake and use of extreme weather and climate information services.
As a result of DARAJA , communities living in the informal settlements of Nairobi and Dar es Salaam have been able to take better preventative action ahead of high impact weather events. This has resulted in both avoided loss and improved livelihoods for the communities.
The impact results achieved on the ground in each city by KDI, CCI, KMD, TMA and DARAJA local partners and stakeholders are based on research conducted at the start and end of the project involving over 700 household surveys across the two cities.
On the 21st October 2020, Resurgence won the International Collaborative Project of the Year Award for DARAJA, at the British Expertise International Awards 2020. The Award recognises and celebrates the best of UK expertise in international development, infrastructure and capacity building.
Resurgence are delighted to announce that one of our partner’s, Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) in Nairobi, Kenya is a finalist in the WRI Ross Centre for Sustainable Cities #PrizesforCities in 2020-2021.
KDI are one of five finalists, shortlisted from 262 submissions across 54 countries, for their work in co-creating a network of resilient, community-managed public spaces in Kibera, Kenya.
We’re delighted to announce that “The Story of DARAJA and James” has been shortlisted in the best short films 📽️ about local climate change adaptation & community-based adaptation projects for the 15th International Conference on Community-based Adaptation to Climate Change (CBA15).
In November 2023, DARAJA completed its baseline findings in Kampala, revealing that 59% of respondents in urban areas have access to or receive weather and climate information (WCI). The study surveyed 449 individuals.
Vulnerable urban communities are experiencing reduced loss of life and improved livelihoods through better use of reliable Weather and Climate Information Services (WCIS).
DARAJA aims to enhance the use of WISER weather and climate services, providing evidence to strengthen policy, planning, resource allocation, and investment decisions at various levels in Africa.
The DARAJA Endline research including the findings for "Access to WCI" is expected to be completed by late 2025 / early 2026.
Resurgence produced a series of inspiring video stories from 8 DARAJA leaders who are taking action on Early Warnings:
- Calistus Wachana, Climate Services User Engagement Expert, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development's (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC)
- Catherine Nimusiima, Program Manager, ACTogether Uganda
- George William, Manager Forecasting Services, Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA)
- John Mungai, Regional Coordinator, WISER (EA), Met Office UK
- Maysoon Badi, Acting CEO / Program Director, Sudan Urban Development Think-Tank (SUDTT)
- Prisca Okila, Community Associate, Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) Kenya
- Prudensiana Luckago, Program Officer, Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) Tanzania
- Tarekegn Abera, Executive Officer, Ethiopian Meteorology Institute (EMI)
These stories of insight and innovation from DARAJA Leaders show how they are spearheading inclusive early warning systems for all across urban Africa.
In 2024, DARAJA received a prestigious World Habitat Award for its groundbreaking work in saving lives and protecting homes in informal settlements in Kenya and Tanzania. The World Habitat Awards, presented by the international non-profit World Habitat in partnership with UN-Habitat, recognise outstanding projects that provide decent housing and demonstrate innovative solutions.
DARAJA was one of eight exceptional projects chosen from 141 entries worldwide. These projects showcased transformative approaches to housing, including community-driven solutions and climate change adaptation. This entry, a collaboration with Resurgence, Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) in Kenya, Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD), Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) in Tanzania, and Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA), stood out for its unique focus on climate adaptation and addressing climate loss and damage at household and community levels. DARAJA was the only winner from Africa.
In May 2024, DARAJA completed its baseline findings in Addis Ababa, revealing that 44% of respondents in urban areas have access to or receive weather and climate information (WCI). The study surveyed 303 individuals.
Vulnerable urban communities are experiencing reduced loss of life and improved livelihoods through better use of reliable Weather and Climate Information Services (WCIS).
DARAJA aims to enhance the use of WISER weather and climate services, providing evidence to strengthen policy, planning, resource allocation, and investment decisions at various levels in Africa.
The DARAJA Endline research findings, including, "Access to WCI" is expected to be completed by late 2025 / early 2026.
On the 11th November 2021, at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, UN High Level Champion Gonzalo Muñoz Abogabir, chaired a Race to Resilience event on Transformation Announcements. As COP26, one of the biggest climate conferences came to an end, Race to Resilience partners from around the world, including Resurgence, pledged to make significant and innovative changes to the current operating system, and shared details on the impact each partner will create through their solutions by 2030.
In this YouTube video, learn about how Resurgence is implementing and scaling Transformations that will support the campaign’s overall goal of reaching 4 billion people in the most vulnerable communities.
Porgress report
We officially announced the launch of the DARAJA East Africa Scale Up Programme in June 2023, continuing across Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) and Nairobi (Kenya) and extending to three new cities: Kampala (Uganda), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Khartoum (Sudan). Funding is mainly through UK FCDO’s WISER program with additional support from Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
To date, we have:
1. Completed the Uganda baseline research findings and launched forecasts / community climate champions (vulnerable groups: women, men, Persons With Disabilities, young people, older people, etc) have been identified and have played a pivotal role;
2. Launched DARAJA Ethiopia (at the British Embassy - Resurgence, the Ethiopia Meteorological Institute (EMI) and the Ethiopia Red Cross Society (ERCS) presented DARAJA implementation to Addis city officials and stakeholders) and started the baseline research;
3. In Sudan, the Tuti island initiative is under way and we are planning for a national Sudan programme;
4. Activity is ongoing in Tanzania and Kenya;
5. We are looking at a smartphone scoping study for Kenya.
Organizations and focal points
Implementing Organization(s)
Focal points
Partners
