Tanzanian Coastal Climate Change Adaptation Challenges

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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Dar es Salaam Flooding: A City Under Siege

Imagine living in a city where your home, your livelihood, and your very safety are constantly threatened by rising waters. This isn’t a scene from a dystopian future; it’s the reality for many residents of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city, and a pivotal hub for the East African diaspora. For the families, many of whom have roots stretching back generations, it’s a heartbreaking struggle. The city, home to over 5 million people, is experiencing increasingly frequent and severe flooding (Rising Sea Levels: How Tanzania is Battling Climate Change).

One of the major issues is intense rainfall combined with coastal erosion. As a result, this combination leads to stagnant water that damages buildings and infrastructure. Moreover, saltwater is creeping into freshwater sources, contaminating wells and the very land that sustains agriculture. This isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s a direct assault on the community’s ability to thrive (Rising Sea Levels: How Tanzania is Battling Climate Change), (The rising sea imperils Tanzania’s coastal communities).

Saltwater Intrusion: The Silent Thief

Saltwater intrusion is a devastating consequence of rising sea levels. It is, quite literally, a silent thief, stealing the lifeblood of coastal communities. In the Ununio neighborhood of Dar es Salaam, residents have already been forced to abandon their homes because of this phenomenon. The saltwater has reached knee-deep levels in some areas, a stark reminder of the encroaching threat (The rising sea imperils Tanzania’s coastal communities).

But the impact goes far beyond flooded homes. Aquifers – underground layers of rock that hold freshwater – in areas like Ilala, Temeke, and Kunduchi are now undrinkable (The rising sea imperils Tanzania’s coastal communities). Subsequently, this contamination of vital water sources poses a severe risk to public health and forces families to rely on expensive, and often scarce, alternatives. The basic necessity of clean water becomes a daily struggle. This is the harsh reality faced by numerous families in Tanzania and beyond.

Environmental and Economic Blows: Tanzania Sea Level Rise

The rising sea levels aren’t just impacting homes and water supplies. They’re also delivering severe blows to Tanzania’s environment and economy. Coastal erosion is threatening vital mangrove forests and coral reefs, essential ecosystems that protect the coastline and support marine life (The rising sea imperils Tanzania’s coastal communities). In addition to impacting human livelihoods, the crisis is impacting animal life. These natural barriers are crucial for biodiversity, but also for the livelihoods of countless fishermen and communities.

The creeping saltwater is devastating rice paddies in the Rufiji Delta. And, for farmers like Omari Jumanne, salt has become their “big enemy” (The rising sea imperils Tanzania’s coastal communities). Therefore, the loss of agricultural land and productivity directly impacts food security and forces families to abandon generations-old farming practices. Then, economic pressures mount on families who are already dealing with other threats.

Government Responses and Challenges: Coastal Erosion Africa

The Tanzanian government, recognizing the severity of the crisis, has taken steps to address it. Over 2,400 meters of seawalls have been built. Also, 40 hectares of mangrove forests have been restored in Dar es Salaam, thanks to a $4.6 million project supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (Rising Sea Levels: How Tanzania is Battling Climate Change), (Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Tanzania | UNEP). These efforts are crucial, but they represent just a fraction of what’s needed. Coral reefs and storm drains are also being rehabilitated (Rising Sea Levels: How Tanzania is Battling Climate Change), (Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Tanzania | UNEP).

Relocation initiatives have been attempted. Although, these often meet with resistance and limited success. One project aimed to move 400,000 people from riverbanks. However, many residents return to risk-prone areas because of better economic opportunities (Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding – C40 Cities). This highlights a critical dilemma: balancing safety with the economic realities and cultural ties that bind people to their homes and communities. Oftentimes, family ties impact the efficacy of climate mitigation efforts.

The Numbers Tell a Grim Story: Demographic Data

The demographic data paints a grim picture of the challenges ahead. Approximately 8% of Dar es Salaam, or about 143,000 residents, already lives below sea level (Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding – C40 Cities). Yet, complicating matters further, the city’s rapid population growth, at an alarming rate of 5.3% annually, exacerbates the risks of flooding and displacement. More people in harm’s way means more lives disrupted, more homes lost, and more strain on already stretched resources (Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding – C40 Cities).

The problem isn’t limited to Tanzania. Globally, a staggering 800 million people could be living in vulnerable coastal cities by 2050 (Rising sea levels besieging Africa’s booming coastal cities – World). African cities like Lagos, Nigeria, and Alexandria, Egypt, face severe displacement risks, mirroring the challenges faced by Dar es Salaam. Consequently, this is a global crisis with a disproportionate impact on communities of African descent, both on the continent and in the diaspora.

Adaptation and Relocation: A Difficult Balance: Climate Adaptation Funding

The challenges of adaptation and relocation are complex and deeply human. In Dar es Salaam, some residents have been provided with safer properties. However, they sell them and return to flood-prone areas to be closer to markets and economic opportunities (Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding – C40 Cities). This underscores the painful choices people face when their livelihoods and social networks are intertwined with the very places threatened by climate change. It’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, but also a stark reminder of the limitations of top-down solutions.

The financial burden of climate adaptation is immense. The UN estimates that developing nations will need a staggering $200 billion per year by 2030 to adapt to the impacts of climate change (The rising sea imperils Tanzania’s coastal communities), (Rising sea levels besieging Africa’s booming coastal cities – World). Tanzania, like many other nations in the Global South, relies heavily on international funding for projects like seawalls and mangrove restoration. Because of limited resources, meeting the high bar of fiscal security can be onerous. This dependence highlights a global inequity: the countries least responsible for climate change are often the most vulnerable and the least equipped to deal with its consequences.

Understanding Saltwater Intrusion: What it Really Means

So, how does all of this happen? It’s a little bit of everything. Essentially, saltwater intrusion occurs when denser saline water from the ocean infiltrates freshwater aquifers underground. It’s like a slow, invisible invasion. This usually happens because of changes in groundwater pressure. In practical terms, it is often caused by human activities things like over-pumping of wells (Saltwater intrusion – Wikipedia).

Think of it like this: Imagine a layer of freshwater floating above a layer of saltwater underground. When too much freshwater is pumped out, the pressure decreases. This allows the saltwater to push inland, forming a “saltwater wedge” beneath the freshwater (Saltwater intrusion – Wikipedia), (Best Practices for Prevention of Saltwater Intrusion – Gov.bc.ca). This process contaminates the coastal water sources that people rely on for drinking and agriculture. Besides human intervention, natural factors like sea-level rise also play a role, pushing the saltwater/freshwater interface further inland (Understanding a Growing Threat to Freshwater | Water in the West).

Aquifers: A Critical Resource Under Threat

Aquifers are essentially underground reservoirs – layers of permeable rock, sand, or gravel that store and transmit freshwater. They are the hidden lifelines of coastal communities, providing crucial supplies for drinking, sanitation, and agriculture. However, contamination is always a potential danger. When saltwater intrudes into these aquifers, it threatens not only the water supply but also entire ecosystems that depend on fresh water (Saltwater intrusion – Wikipedia), (Best Practices for Prevention of Saltwater Intrusion – Gov.bc.ca).

In coastal areas, these aquifers often form a “lens” of freshwater floating above saltwater. When we pump water from these aquifers, we disrupt this delicate balance. Moreover, this causes the saltwater to replace the fresh reserves (Saltwater intrusion – Wikipedia), (Best Practices for Prevention of Saltwater Intrusion – Gov.bc.ca). It is a perilous predicament for the most vulnerable populations. The increased salinity isn’t just a temporary problem; it can cause permanent damage to the aquifer, altering the groundwater chemistry and making it unusable for the long term.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.