Assessing Community Adaptation Strategies to Floods:
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The State University of Zanzibar
Abstract
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Background: Floods disasters around the world has increased for the last 20 years and
affected billions of people. The same have been observed in Zanzibar which resulted to
severe impacts in many parts of Urban-West Region and affected many people, threaten
several lives and caused substantial economic losses. Therefore, this study intended to
assess the community adaptation strategies to floods, the genesis of those strategies and
the limiting factors for each adaptation strategies in flood-prone areas in Urban District
in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Methodology: This was a cross sectional study design conducted in Shehia of Nyerere,
Kwa Wazee and Jan’gombe. It involved 399 head of the households, 2 members from
governmental and 2 members from non-governmental organizations dealing with
disasters. Data was collected using interviewer administered questionnaire for heads of
the households to assess their adaptation strategies and the limiting factors to adaptation
strategies, while key informant interview was used to get information about the genesis
of adaptation strategies and the limiting factors to adaptation strategies from the
members of government and non-government organizations dealing with disasters.
Results: The study revealed that majority of participants were females 231 (57.9%), age
40 and above, and most of them were non-government employees 206 (51.6%). Also
the study discovered that community has been employing different adaptation strategies
to reduce the floods risk at pre, during and after floods. Before flooding they use to
cement floor, while during flooding moved to another place and after flooding did the
structural repairs of their houses. Measures taken by the organizations include; giving
early warning information through different media, waste management and
construction of new drainage systems. Major factors hindering the community
adaptations were; lack of resources, lack of technology and lack of social adhesion. It
is suggested that the government should provide the support to the communities in order
to improve their resilience against the floods. Also, the community should take upon
explored adaptation opportunities available in the communities, and proposed effective
and efficient future interventions.
Keywords
Flood disaster, Impact of flood disaster