Building Water Scarcity in Colonial Dar Es Salaam

This talk examines the history of urban water development in the city of Dar es Salaam. Founded in the 1880s, Dar is a relatively young city that experienced tremendous growth during periods of German and British colonial rule. This growth came despite the unwillingness of colonial agents to provide adequate water to all its citizens. I argue that urban planners “built” water scarcity into the urban landscape from the city’s earliest days. Designed as a segregated space, the city provided tap water to European areas while denying it African ones. Despite this, the city grew as African communities proved resourceful in harnessing alternate sources of water such as shallow wells and private vendors. This resourcefulness helped the city grow into the largest in East Africa, despite the neglect of the colonial state and the economic difficulties of the post-colonial one. In the past twenty years, however, urban migration and population growth, along with the impacts of climate change, have raised questions as to whether this means of urban adaptation will survive.