#274 Seeing the Future of a City

Engineering Matters

Dar es Salaam is one of the world’s fastest growing cities. In the 1970s, it was home to less than one million people. Today, it has a population of more than five million people, and by 2035 it is projected to have more than 13 million residents.

The city sits on a natural harbour, the Zanzibar channel, and is crossed by a series of short rivers and tributaries. These supported the population, and helped build its position as one of Africa’s most important ports. But as climate change takes effect they bring risks: of flood, and of disease. And, like other cities, Dar es Salaam also faces intolerable heat, with the urban heat island effect adding to global temperature rises.

As the Tanzanian government starts a second tranche of development in the city, with the support of the World Bank, it wanted to consider the impact of using more nature-based engineering techniques. In this episode, we learn how engineers from Arup made use of flood mapping from Fathom, as they calculated the impact of urban greening on the city.

Guests

Caroline Ray, regional director, East Africa, Arup

Gavin Lewis, head of engineering markets, Fathom

Dr Natalie Lord, principal climate scientist, Fathom

Anthony Cooper, hydraulic modeller, Fathom

Partner

Fathom gives risk management professionals the most scientifically robust intelligence to understand the climate’s effects on water risk. By publishing cutting-edge peer-reviewed academic research and applying it to real-world challenges, Fathom enables stronger decision-making for (re)insurance, civil engineering, corporate risk, financial services, disaster response and government.

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