Nature-based Solutions thinking for urban water management in the Global South: Empirical Insights from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are emerging as an increasingly preferred multi-sectoral approach among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers across different scales. The topicality of this study, which focuses on NbS thinking for Urban Water Management (UWM), is two-fold. First, there is a dearth of empirical evidence on NbS research and practice in water management in the Global South. Second, there is an unprecedented increase in UWM challenges in Global South cities, driven in part by rapid urbanisation under conditions of poverty. Thus, NbS are considered an imperative pathway toward achieving multiple cost-effective and sustainable UWM solutions in Global South cities. The complexity of UWM provides an opportunity to foster effective interventions for climate change resilience and drainage basin water management. In Tanzania, only 61% of households have access to basic water supply, while 28% of the population lacks access to safe water. In Dar es Salaam, water management challenges call for context-specific solutions and stronger institutional capacity. Data for this study were collected through interviews with key stakeholders in water resources management in the Dar es Salaam, including the Ministry of Water, the Wami-Ruvu Water Basin Authority, the Tanzania Forest Services (TFS), and GIZ. In addition, documentary, policy, and legal reviews were conducted. These methods were deployed to map stakeholder knowledge, institutional challenges, and forest–water linkages, laying the groundwork for conceptualising the role of NbS in UWM. Triangulation across sources revealed consensus on forest protection as a key NbS strategy, although uneven institutional awareness was evident through actor role mapping. The study provides insights into the potential of NbS to deliver benefits such as improved water resources, enhanced biodiversity, eco-friendly energy usage, and sustainable flood management. Furthermore, this study aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which seeks to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water resources (water security).