Linking Adaptive Capacity and Peri-Urban Features: The Findings of a Household Survey in Dar es SalaamClimate Change Vulnerability in Southern African Cities

Despite the increasing number of studies on urban vulnerability in African cities, there has been little research focusing specifically on the determinants of adaptive capacity. However, a greater emphasis is now being placed on the role that local responses and socioeconomic conditions play in determining vulnerability to climate stress or climate change. Such considerations have led to an increase in the attention paid to adaptive capacity, to the social context in general, and to the specific structural conditions that cause social and urban vulnerability. The purpose of this chapter is to provide knowledge regarding the identification of the determinants and attributes of adaptive capacity in the peri-urban areas of Sub-Saharan cities. The study describes a household survey conducted in Dar es Salaam with a focus on the natural resource systems upon which people depend. Its main contribution is the generation of knowledge on household characteristics and autonomous adaptation strategies, and a framework for better understanding the relationship between these two aspects. This relationship is the basis for understanding the nature and components of adaptive capacity in coastal Dar’s peri-urban areas, and for identifying interventions that could be carried out by local institutions in order to support autonomous adaptation and environmental management practices and to improve adaptive capacity.