Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Tanzania’s largest city and main port, Dar es Salaam, is one of the fastest-growing cities in East Africa, with 4.3 million people and an annual growth rate of over 5%. Dar es Salaam is likely to become a megacity in the 2030s (Census, 2012; Macrotrends, 2020; Sturgis, 2015). Tanzania experiences a tropical climate along its coastline and undergoes two rainy seasons: April and May and again in October and November. Its coastal location near the harbor allows Dar es Salaam to be a central trade hub but also subjects the city to storm surges and flooding events, which expose freshwater sources to marine and terrestrial pollutants.

In Dar es Salaam, 60% of the water is accounted for. Much of the population relies on groundwater and local water vendors. In Dar es Salaam, 51% of the population receives water from the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority, while informal settlements and individuals lacking home connections rely heavily on borehole infrastructure. Unplanned settlements and rapid urbanization continue to put stress on Dar es Salaam’s water supply. Throughout the country, the demand for water and sanitation is high. When water shortages arise in the city, the population resorts to unsafe sources, including groundwater, rainwater, and other surface water. This usage results in various waterborne diseases, such as cholera, that primarily impact children and vulnerable groups (Sakijege, 2019). 

Since the late 1990s, Tanzania has sought public-private partnerships (PPPs) to assist water and sanitation projects to improve infrastructure and management in Dar es Salaam. However, failed contracts and private investors’ disinterest in Dar es Salaam left Tanzania without improved infrastructure up to 2008. Between 2008–13, the Millenium Challenge Corporation invested $695 million into the Tanzania Compact, with over $30 million of this investment going toward expanding the Lower Ruvu water plant to increase water quality and quantity for the city’s residents. The Government of Tanzania plans to increase the number of PPPs in the coming years to generate greater water and financial security for its water sector (USAID, 2020).