Dr Agnes Kapinga

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's most populous city, is regarded as one of the continent's fastest-growing cities. It is home to approximately 5.4 million people and accounts for over 10% of the nation's population. With an average annual demographic growth rate of 5%, Dar es Salaam is among the nine fastest-growing cities in Africa and is projected to become a megacity of 13.4 million people by 2035. However, this rapid urbanisation is marked by several challenges, such as the increasing frequency of urban flooding, which disproportionately affects poor and informal settlements. Unplanned settlements account for approximately 70% of Dar es Salaam's land use for residential purposes, reflecting inadequate urban development plans and regulatory frameworks. 

These areas lack proper drainage systems and are thus highly susceptible to stormwater runoff. Another factor is climate change, which is linked to rising temperatures and the unpredictability of rainfall patterns, with far-reaching consequences for the urban ecosystem. The city experiences intense storm events annually, which overburden the current infrastructure, resulting in frequent flooding. Besides loss of income and displacement, flooding heightens health risk via waterborne illnesses and inadequate sanitation within the densely populated urban centres. 

The World Bank has suggested that most areas in Dar es Salaam will be uninhabitable without significant investment in adaptation and infrastructure. The World Bank also cautions that the ongoing disregard for nature-based solutions in urban planning may accelerate these risks. In response to these challenges, the Tanzanian government, in collaboration with the World Bank, launched the Dar es Salaam Metropolitan Development Project (DMDP) in 2017. The project aims to enhance urban infrastructure and municipal capacity, with a focus on climate change mitigation, emergency preparedness, and adaptation. Project interventions encompass nature-based solutions, such as green and blue infrastructure, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), and a Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (LBSAP). While such initiatives are steps in the right direction, neither their effectiveness nor the local buy-in of such interventions is well-researched. Still, it is essential to guarantee sustainable, equitable, and replicable solutions. 

Dr Agnes Kapinga's research project addresses the knowledge gap by investigating how urban resilience can be enhanced through community-based initiatives and nature-based solutions for strengthened adaptive capacities and flood protection. The study will be conducted in the Ilala District of Dar es Salaam. The area is affected by flooding each year, and the DMDP Project is being implemented. The project will start with an extensive literature review, analysing existing research and policy documents on urban resilience, NbS, and flood management. Stakeholder engagement will be conducted through semi-structured interviews with professionals (policy makers, urban planners, and environmental scientists), as well as focus group discussions with the local communities of the Ilala, Kinondoni, and Temeke districts. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including a multivariate logit model, will be employed to evaluate the impact of NbS on urban resilience. The qualitative data will identify community strategies for implementing community-based, nature-based solutions, which will be conducted in each district following validation and capacity-building workshops. The research results will be presented in technical reports, academic publications, policy briefs, and floodplain maps, as part of future urban planning efforts, emphasising community participation and localised adaptation. 

Dr Agnes G. Kapinga is a distinguished lecturer, researcher, and consultant at the Tengeru Institute of Community Development in Tanzania. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Management, a Master's in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, and a PhD in Environmental Management. Her interdisciplinary academic background gives her a strong foundation in the complex interconnections between environmental systems, economic frameworks, and social equity. Dr Kapinga's research centres on the dynamics of human–nature interactions, focusing on developing strategies to address the socio-environmental challenges that emerge from these relationships. She has collaborated with a wide range of organisations, including ActionAid, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the private sector through Cambridge Education Ltd. She has held positions as a lecturer, academic researcher, and government consultant in her professional career. In recent years, her work has increasingly focused on climate change resilience, community development, and the governance of natural resources. Driven by a commitment to sustainability and social inclusion, Dr Kapinga advocates for practical, community-centred approaches to achieving sustainable development goals.