5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
[O2-25-01] Planning for resettlement after disaster: Lessons from the case of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Keywords:Post-disaster resettlement, Resettlement challenges, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Post-disaster resettlement issues are becoming more important world-wide with the increasing number of disasters. The presentation is based on the doctoral research carried out by the author in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), one of the fastest urbanising cities in Sub-Saharan Africa. It presents the challenges faced by the government authorities in the post-disaster resettlement process following the floods of 2011 and the experiences of the population since resettlement. On 20 December 2011, Dar es Salaam was subjected to massive flooding following unprecedented rains. The official death toll was 43 and over 50,000 persons were affected, among which about 10,000 people were displaced. As part of disaster recovery, the flood victims were accommodated in temporary camps and subsequently provided plots and resettled in Mabwepande, about 40 Kilometres from the Central Business District (CBD). However, this affected the livelihood opportunities of the flood victims, besides resulting in various other socio-economic challenges, leading to questions on the rationality of the resettlement measure. On the other hand, the local government that managed the process with limited financial resources, considers the measure favourably, despite the challenges in the process. The qualitative study brings out the reasons behind such diverse perceptions and the challenges involved in the resettlement process. Consequently, the presentation will throw light on the factors that need to be considered in planning towards resettlement after disaster in a developing country context. The presentation will conclude with lessons to learn from the case of Dar es Salaam.