From Msimbazi River Valley to Mabwepande Settlement: The Resettlement Process and Its Challenges

Abstract

The paper documents the resettlement process undertaken following the 2011 heavy rains in Dar es Salaam City , which adversely affected many people who lived in flood prone areas particularly in and along Msimbazi river valley. Within the resettlement process, challenges which were encountered by different actors during the resettlement process were investigated. With the use of qualitative and quantitative data, the paper shows that the resettlement of households from Msimbazi River Valley to Mabwepande followed a number of steps decided during the process with no pre-determined guidelines. The process largely centred around identifying those to be resettled, relocating them to the resettlement area and issuing alternative plots. The physical, economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions of resettlement were less coherent in the process. Subsequently, the process resulted into both negative and positive outcomes, which are persistent until today. These include poor housing conditions, disruption of economic and income generating activities, unreliable social and technical infrastructure services, inability and or reluctance to develop the new plots and low living standards. However, high level of tenure security and certainty of being free from flood risk are some positive outcomes of the resettlement. The paper argues that the implementation of resettlement projects with no well-articulated process that takes care of the environmental, spatial, economic and social needs of the resettled population obscures the outcomes of the project. It therefore calls for caution when planning and implementing disaster led r esettlement projects that necessary steps ought to be carried out to protect and enhance the wellbeing and livelihoods of those resettled apart from issuing alternative parcels of land.