Project properties
Title Urban agriculture in the Lower Msimbazi basin, Dar es Salaam
Group Water Resources Management group
Project type internship
Credits 24
Supervisor(s) matthijs.wessels@wur.nl
Examiner(s)
Contact info matthijs.wessels@wur.nl
Begin date 2022/01/01
End date 2023/12/31
Description Country: Tanzania, Dar es Salaam
Host institute: Dasuda Alliance for Sustainable Urban Development in Africa

Problem context
VE-R, together with NORPLAN and CDR-international, are making a spatial framework for the lower Msimbazi Basin in Dar es Salaam. The plan is to rehabilitate the basin which increases flood safety and convert it into a city park with ecosystem restoration; public facilities and urban agriculture. The design of the plan uses excavated material from the basin to fill raised terraces. A part of one of the terraces is destined for Urban Agriculture.

The quality of the water in the Msimbazi valley is publicly considered to be insufficient for agriculture because of pollution originating from human activities such as urban waste water and factories (breweries). Approx. 3 km upstream in the Msimbazi valley, farmers are currently using different water resources such as rain, groundwater, piped water and wastewater.

Research Objective/Question
The main research question is: What methods can be used to exploit future water resources and create safe and accessible water resources for irrigation of urban agriculture in the Lower Msimbazi basin?
Other research questions are:
-How much water is needed for the projected amount of urban agriculture in the Msimbazi valley?
-What kind of methods could be used for safe irrigation of urban agriculture in the Msimbazi valley?
-How could a system of runoff drainage canals, (natural) harvesting ponds incl. underground storage look like?

What is expected from the student (type of research)
To propose an irrigation system for urban agriculture in the projected area of the spatial framework of the Msimbazi Lower Basin.
Used skills
Requirements