Climate Project Shields Dar es Salaam from Deadly Floods

The World Bank-funded Msimbazi Basin Development Project aims to turn Dar es Salaam’s flood-prone areas into a climate-resilient green park.

When rains pounded through the night, 44-year-old Teresia Katimba clutched her rosary and prayed silently, her fingers trembling with each whispered Hail Mary. A devout Catholic and mother of four, she stayed awake, huddling her children, hoping the floodwaters wouldn’t engulf them.

In Jangwani—a flood-prone neighborhood in Dar es Salaam where the Msimbazi River snakes through crowded shacks and tangled mangroves—heavy rains routinely trigger flooding and displacement.

“There were nights we didn’t sleep,” says Katimba. “You just sat awake, waiting for the water to come.”

Katimba had learned to read the signs. That night, they spelled danger. Her house, perched precariously beside the riverbank, became a target for misery. Murky floodwater—infested with sewage, plastic bottles, and garbage—surged through the door, soaking mattresses and spoiling maize flour, charcoal, and dried sardines.

“My children were terrified. Somehow, we managed to survive,” she says.

An entrepreneur, Katimba saw the danger. But like many residents in the impoverished neighborhood, she stayed—until the floods nearly swept away everything.

Today, her life is different. She received compensation in 2024 and relocated to Madale, a dry, forested neighborhood 39 kilometers away, where she built a modest house.

“We’re very happy to be here,” she says. “There’s no floodwater to worry about.”

Katimba’s story reflects a larger crisis facing city dwellers across Dar es Salaam.

Matilda Msemwa, a resident of Kigogo, recalls how floods once engulfed her living room and destroyed her furniture. Shortly after midnight, she noticed a foul smell and a shift in air pressure. Minutes later, water had risen to waist level.

“I had to scream for help. My daughter nearly drowned as the floods violently filled the house,” she says.

Home to 5.8 million people, Dar es Salaam—one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities—is highly vulnerable to flooding. Around 70% of its population lives in informal settlements. In 2018, flooding in the Msimbazi Basin caused USD 100 million in property damage, equivalent to 2% of the city’s GDP, according to the World Bank.

Now, Dar es Salaam is finally fighting back.

The USD 200 million World Bank-funded Msimbazi Basin Development Project, backed by climate financing, aims to turn flood-prone areas into a resilient green corridor.

Scheduled to run through 2028, the project targets the city’s lower Msimbazi River basin, home to over 330,000 people living in vulnerable conditions.

Plans include river dredging, terracing, and overhauling the Jangwani bridge and bus depot.

“This project was conceived after the devastating February 2018 floods,” says John Morton, a World Bank project manager. “The then vice president—now the president—asked all agencies to find a solution for Msimbazi.”

That appeal led to the Msimbazi Opportunity Plan, a comprehensive strategy to restore the basin and prevent future disasters. It's funded by a concessional loan from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA).

“IDA credits are concessional,” Morton explains. “Low or no interest, with long grace and repayment periods.”

The Netherlands and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) also contribute.

“The Netherlands’ grant covers 30 million euros,” says Morton. “They’re co-financing a major earthworks contract, funding up to 50%.”

Spanish funding is structured similarly and will be integrated once finalized.

The most controversial part of the project? Relocating low-income residents from the floodplain.

“It was clear people didn’t want to live there,” Morton says. “Property was damaged. Kids were out of school. The flooding was too much.”

So far, USD 30 million has been disbursed to resettle around 3,500 households from high-risk areas.

At the project’s heart is more than just flood safety—it’s about building a living park. The chaotic, garbage-strewn floodplain will become a natural detention zone where floodwaters can spread without harm.

“This will be a green flood detention area with ecosystems and recreational spaces,” Morton says.

Mangroves, essential for river and marine health, will be restored and expanded.

“They’re currently under stress from sediment and garbage,” says Morton. “The plan is to restore their function in purifying the water.”

Dar residents also face pollution from garbage and sewage. The Msimbazi River, choked with waste, contributes to marine pollution in the Indian Ocean.

The project addresses this with a strong watershed management component: reforestation, riverbank protection, and solid waste investments.

“There are targeted interventions in informal settlements to organize waste collection and improve services,” Morton says.

On sewage, the project will launch a monitoring program and coordinate with agencies like DAWASA to create effective sewerage systems.

“It’s a turning point—but only if we get it right,” says urban specialist Sylvia Macchi.

For Macchi, who has studied Dar es Salaam’s informal settlements and flooding for decades, this is perhaps the city’s most ambitious climate-resilience effort.

“We’ve seen grand plans come and go,” she warns. “Execution, not promises, is what matters.”

Still, she believes the initiative could transform the city’s future—if done right.

“Clearing the valley, relocating at-risk communities, and restoring green spaces—that’s urban transformation at scale,” she says.

The project runs until 2028. What happens after?

“There are discussions about forming an institution to manage the park and watershed,” says Morton. “Funding could come from land sales, developer fees, and regulated sand mining.”

That institution would ensure the basin stays protected beyond the project’s life.

In a crowded, flood-prone city gasping for green space, the transformation of the Msimbazi floodplain is both symbolic and strategic.

“This will be an asset,” Morton says. “Not just for flood reduction, but as a green public space that includes all income groups.”

If successful, the project won’t just protect Dar’s poorest—it could become a model for climate-resilient cities across Africa.

“This is about turning adversity into opportunity,” says Morton.

From the muddy banks of the Msimbazi to the halls of the World Bank, the vision is clear: Dar es Salaam will not drown—it will thrive.