Sunayana Sen, Daraja program manager at Resurgence, speaks to Meteorological Technology International about Africa’s most inclusive – and award-winning – urban weather forecasting and early warning system.
since its launch in September 2018, Daraja has provided almost one million people in Kenya and Tanzania with better weather information. In a nutshell, the initiative provides regular, reliable weather information and response actions in accessible and easy-to-understand formats for residents in informal settlements. The project brings together multiple international stakeholders and local players with the aim of saving lives and protecting homes through early warning forecasts.
The success of the initiative over the past six years has recently been recognized with a World Habitat Award, underscoring the importance of community-driven solutions for climate change adaptation. And now it is being rolled out to new territories in East Africa and to small island developing states (SIDS).
Sunayana Sen works as Daraja program manager at Resurgence, the global social enterprise that runs the project. She spoke to Meteorological Technology International about the project’s progress to date and what the future holds for Africa’s most inclusive urban weather forecasting system.
Why was Daraja established?
In Swahili, Daraja means ‘bridge’, which is a fitting name for a project connecting vulnerable communities with vital weather and climate information.
From 2018 to 2020, Daraja transformed how urban residents in Nairobi in Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania received early warnings about severe weather. Supported by the UK Met Office’s Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER) program, Daraja has made a significant impact. In cities across Africa, Asia and the Global South, there’s a huge gap between the wealthy and the poor.
In crowded cities, slums and informal settlements, easy-to-access and easy-to-understand weather forecasts and warnings are rare. While many of us casually check the weather, over a billion people in unplanned urban areas confront life-threatening floods, cyclones, heat waves and storms without any warning. Reliable weather information isn’t just about convenience; it’s about survival.
Daraja bridges this critical gap. By uniting a diverse range of stakeholders, the initiative ensures weather information is communicated effectively, on time, and acted upon, enhancing community safety and resilience. At the heart of Daraja are the residents in vulnerable urban areas. These low-income communities, often overlooked and underserved, are the primary beneficiaries, relying on timely weather updates to stay safe. Meanwhile, national weather agencies are the backbone of Daraja, providing accurate and reliable climate information. Their data is crucial for forecasting potential weather threats and informing the community about impending dangers.
Other stakeholders involved include civil protection and disaster management agencies, which, during extreme weather events, plan and execute anticipatory action protocols and emergency responses to minimize damage and save lives. Meanwhile, infrastructure operators play a critical role in keeping essential services running smoothly during weather crises, and media houses, telecommunications companies and schools help broadcast urgent weather alerts and critical updates across multiple channels, and educate about safety measures.
What are the project’s key outcomes to date?
Daraja was piloted in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam from 2018 to 2020 and has delivered remarkable results. Designed to enhance weather and climate information services (WCIS), Daraja has shown a benefit-cost ratio of up to 20:1. This means that for every dollar invested, there was a twentyfold return in enhanced productivity and avoided climate-related economic loss.
During its pilot phase, Daraja reached 982,000 residents. The initiative empowered communities with early warnings, enabling them to take proactive measures. Residents undertook crucial actions such as repairing homes and roofs, safeguarding possessions and cleaning drains to prevent flooding.
Data analysis from the project revealed significant improvements in access, understanding and use of WCIS among residents. In Nairobi, the number of residents with access to actionable weather information skyrocketed from 56% to 93%, benefiting at least 800,000 people. Furthermore, 98% of these residents reported using Daraja’s information to prepare for extreme weather, leading to substantial increases in anticipatory actions: home repairs increased by 300%, moving possessions to safety by 166% and cleaning drains by over 100%.
How has the project progressed?
The Daraja initiative has now extended its work beyond Kenya and Tanzania, bringing vital weather communication systems to more cities in East Africa and the Caribbean. This expansion aims to provide essential early warnings about extreme weather events to millions more residents in vulnerable areas. In East Africa, Daraja now serves residents in Khartoum, Sudan; Kampala, Uganda; and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. These cities join Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in benefiting from timely weather updates, helping communities better prepare for weather-related disasters.
In addition to its African expansion, Daraja is being adapted for small island developing states (SIDS), and a demonstrator project has been launched in Kingston, Jamaica, in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). This adaptation focuses on the specific threats faced by island nations, such as rising sea levels and severe weather patterns.
Where will Daraja expand to next?
Daraja is working to expand its work into secondary cities in its existing countries, such as Mombasa and Zanzibar . There is high demand for this following the successful demonstrator in the capital cities, as it extends the impact of national weather services to the wider country and increases the country’s climate change resilience. Daraja is also primed to expand into South Asia, where there is a similar need and demand from community organizations and national weather agencies.