Using photograph interpretation to understand perceptions of floods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Floods are the most common natural disaster and cause economic loss and death. The amount of people exposed to flooding is increasing, especially in Sub-Saharan African cities. Within these cities, it is the poorest residents living in informal, high-density, and low-lying areas that are most at risk. Dar es Salaam experiences regular flooding, which is attributed to more intense and severe precipitation, rapid population growth, and inadequate infrastructure. This paper presents a case study of the city’s Kigogo Ward, an informal area situated between the Kibangu and Msimbazi Rivers. It presents a pilot study of households living in flood-prone areas to understand actual experiences. Not all experienced floods either inside or outside their homes. To understand why some households stated no flood experience despite living on or near rivers, a second phase of research incorporated photograph interpretation. Participants were shown a series of 10 photographs of flooded landscapes and asked whether the image was a flood. Results found a variety of perceptions of floods: from considering any amount of water a flood to considering waist-deep water normal rather than a flood. These results demonstrate a need to consider these differing perceptions of floods when creasing disaster management and resilience policies.