Researcher(s):
Emma Hay Shoshana Rybeck
ENVS course(s): 220 Initiated: November 2017 Completed: Go to project site
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Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and is continuously fast growing. This fast urban growth has led to major anthropogenic and environmental pollution, and depletion of the already scarce water resources for the Tanzanian people. For the peri-urban communities of Dar es Salaam specifically, water quality and access are their primary concerns. With the resource being scarce, to begin with, and water and sewage treatment being inadequate, water quality is jeopardized at its source. Additionally, access to the limited clean water there is has been compromised, as much of the water market has been outsourced by the federal government to private companies. This privatization has influenced the feasibility and regulation of clean water for many communities. The variability in water quality and access throughout the peri-urban settlements of Dar es Salaam seem to bring up an issue of inequity, as one’s ability to obtain clean drinking water can be heavily influenced by their socioeconomic class, location, and physical abilities.
For this situated project, we will be looking at the drinking water of the peri-urban areas (the slums) located in downtown Dar es Salaam, and the inequalities that surround it. This includes the variations of access from pipelines, boreholes and kiosks to those who cannot afford it, and the regulatory attempts of resources such as privatization and health codes.
Framing question: Why are there inequalities surrounding the state of water quality, sanitation, distribution and access, and what should be done about them?
Focus question: How did the current state of water access and quality in the Peri-Urban areas of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania come to be, and is it considered equitable on the scale of socioeconomic status?