Abstract
Research in climate change adaptation in Tanzania has expended considerably over the last ten years. In Dar es Salaam, such research efforts include assessing the vulnerability of exposed communities in informal settlements, developing risks maps, investigating landscapes based storm water management for increasing climate resilience and supporting participatory decision-making and prioritization of actions on climate change adaptation. Often, scholars face high expectations and must generate knowledge and provide solutions in a short amount of time regardless of the challenges they face. This paper provides an overview of the opportunities and barriers for research and implementation of climate change adaptation in Tanzania. It pinpoints the necessity of overcoming traditional assessments that largely focus on the deficits and/or failures of urban systems in Africa. Instead, university scholars aim to provide context-based solutions through techniques such as urban morphology types, participative design charretes or multi criteria analysis to steer adaptation efforts. Yet, the available scholarly work comes with many challenges. The results show a need to manoeuver around rigid bureaucracies and reluctance to change, technocratic urban ideals, short time spent for project implementation and lack of reliable information. This suggests that high education institutions require other ways of advocating and communicating climate change adaptation and planning in rapidly urbarnising African cities.
Keywords
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Climact Prio is a climate awareness decision support and capacity building tool for assessment, screening and prioritization of climate adaptation actions. Developed at the Institute for Housing and Development Studies in Rotterdam the tools has been applied in Tanzania to support decision making and identification of flood reduction measures in Dar es Salaam. For more information about the tool see (REF. Stelios).
References
Brennan J, King R, and Labeau Y, (2004) The role of Universities in the transformation of societies. An International Research Synthesis Report, Association of Commonwealth University, London.
Castells M, (2001) Universities as dynamic systems of contradictory functions. In: Muller J et al (eds) Challenges of globalisation. South African debates with Manuel Castells. Maskew Miller Longman, Cape Town, pp 206–223.
Chambers, R. (1994). Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA): Challenges, Potentials and Paradigm. World Development, 22(10): 1437-1454.
Freire, P. (1968). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Seabury: New York.
Fryd, O., Backhaus, A., Adugna, D., Assefa, A., Jensen, M.B., Justin, J., Mguni, P., Mpyanga, S., Workneh, A., Yeshitela, K. and Herslund, L. (2016). Draft landscape‐based stormwater management strategies for the Jemo and Mbezi River catchments. Water Resilient Green Cities for Africa, Report 2, Work package 2. Retrieved on 17 October 2017 from http://ign.ku.dk/english/research/landscape-architecture-planning/landscape-technology/water-green-africa/project-publications/filer/WGA_Report_2_WP2_2015_160601.pdf
Jean-Baptiste N, Kabisch S, and Kuhlicke C (2013) Urban Vulnerability Assessment in Flood-Prone Areas in West and East Africa. In: Rauch S et al (eds) Urban Environment. Springer, Heidelberg, New York, pp 203–218.
Kombe W J, (2012) The Role of Research in the National Social-Economic Development. A Paper presented at the Annual National Conference Organized by the Tanzanian Commission of Universities, Arusha, Tanzania.
Kombe W, Namangaya A, (2016) Decentralisation and Urban Governance: Trends and Lessons from Cities in Tanzania. In: Decentralisation and Regional Development. Springer International Publishing, Heidelberg, pp 71–88.
Malele B F, (2009) The contribution of ineffective urban planning practices to disaster and disaster risks accumulation in urban areas: the case of former Kunduchi quarry site in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In: Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies 2(1):28–53.
Mguni P, Herslund L, and Jensen M B, (2015) Green infrastructure for flood-risk management in Dar es Salaam and Copenhagen: exploring the potential for transitions towards sustainable urban water management. In: Water Policy 17(1):126–142.
Mosha H P, (1986) The role of African universities in national development. In: Higher Education 15(1):113–134.
Pauleit S, Coly A; Fohlmeister S; Gasparini P; Jørgensen G, Kabisch S; Kombe W J; Lindley S; Simonis I; Yashitela K; (eds) (2015) Urban Vulnerability and Climate Change in Africa—A Multidisciplinary Approach. Springer International Publishing, Heidelberg.
Shemdoe R, Kassenga G, and Mbuligwe S, (2015) Implementing climate change adaptation and mitigation interventions at the local government levels in Tanzania: where do we start?. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. Elsevier Science, 13:32–41.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Jean-Baptiste, N., Kombe, W. (2017). Opportunities and Barriers for Research and Actions in Climate Change Adaptation in Tanzania. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Climate Change Research at Universities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58214-6_30
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58214-6_30
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-58213-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-58214-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)