Sustainability of groundwater management in the coastal plain of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)

The city of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) is one of the fastest‐growing cities in sub‐Saharan Africa. The city faces periodic water shortages, during which water demand is hardly satisfied. Only one third of the households receives water directly from the public water supply and water needs relies increasingly on groundwater. The sectors that represent the key/central aspects of vulnerability for Dar es Salaam, are water supply, waste management, drainage, and health services. The Adapting to Climate Change in Coastal Dar es Salaam (ACC-DAR) project is a co-founded research project, granted by the European Union, leaded by the Sapienza, University of Rome, in cooperation with Ardhi University of Dar es Salaam. The project will enhance the adaption to Climate Change (CC) capacities of Dar’s municipalities, by increasing their understanding of adaptation practices, and by developing methodologies for integrating adaptation activities into strategies and plans for Urban Development and Environment Management (UDEM) in unplanned and unserviced coastal settlements. This paper deals with the results obtained by the approach carried out in the aim of better manage groundwater in the coastal aquifer of Dar es Salaam.