Africa’s climate adaptation: How Tanzania is transforming flood zones into resilient green spaces

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In 2018 alone, flooding in the Msimbazi Basin inflicted more than $100 million in damage, nearly 2 per cent of the city's GDP, according to the World Bank.

But for the first time, the city is tackling the menace head-on. The Msimbazi Basin Development Project, running through 2028, targets the city's lower river basin - home to 330,000 people - and seeks to transform one of Africa's most flood-vulnerable zones into a green, climate-resilient urban park.

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In cities like Dar es Salaam, flash floods routinely displace thousands, while rural communities endure prolonged droughts and shrinking water sources. As these impacts intensify, the government is ramping up climate adaptation efforts - from relocating flood-prone residents to scaling up resilient farming and securing international climate finance. But limited resources, weak coordination, and capacity gaps continue to hinder progress.

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A key effort is the Tanzania Agriculture Climate Adaptation Technology Deployment Programme, supported by the Green Climate Fund. It has reached over 1.24 million smallholder farmers with drought-tolerant seeds, conservation agriculture, and water-saving irrigation.

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