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The selection and prioritization of suitable strategies to address the challenges to the successful operation and implementation of the bus rapid transit (BRT) system is a common problem faced by practitioners and decision-makers. Recent research has widely discussed the issue, but such assessments have remained limited in the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania context, where there are mobility difficulties. The present study addresses this research gap and identifies the most critical challenges to BRT implementation and operation, and recommends the most appropriate strategy for overcoming them. Seven strategies are defined. To prioritize these strategies, five criteria are determined. An integrated multi-criteria decision-making model is introduced. Improved Fuzzy Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis based on the Bonferroni operator was used to determine the importance of the criteria. Measurement of alternatives and ranking according to compromise solution was applied to assess and rank the strategies. The results indicate that "frequent flooding at the Jangwani bridge bus terminal" and "long waiting time at bus stops" are the most critical challenges while the fourth alternative "strengthening the operation and management" is the appropriate strategy to be implemented for successful operation and implementation of the BRT system. After that, a five-phase sensitivity analysis is performed to observe the robustness of the proposed approach. The results indicate the flexibility and applicability of the proposed approach can address real-life problems. The proposed methodology in this work can be instrumental in assisting mass transit operators with the successful implementation and operation of the BRT system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Saharan Africa's rapid urban growth is causing a decline in urban agricultural land, reducing access to healthy local food for citizens. This paper quantitatively and spatially describes the contribution of urban and peri-urban producers to the availability and accessibility of fresh leafy vegetables in the growing city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Based on over 700 surveys with food vendors and consumers, as well as ethnographic research with farmers, we show how a total of 70 per cent of all amaranth consumed in Dar es Salaam was found to be produced within the city. With an average distance travelled from farm to fork of 11 km, leafy vegetables have a strongly localised foodshed. The results show the ongoing significance of urban areas in meeting their own food demands, emphasising the necessity to explicitly integrate food provisioning in the planning of growing African cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Dar es Salaam, an aesthetic politics of landscape shaped by the coloniality of space is central to middle‐class boundary work that drives the city's middle classes to congregate in the city's northern suburbs. The colonial city was divided into three racially marked zones that became known as uzunguni, uhindini, and uswahilini (the place of the European, Indian, and African, respectively). The coloniality of space remains as the spatial residue of this colonial enframing. It endures in an aesthetic politics of landscape in which ideas about what, and who, makes good urban space in terms of architecture, topography, and planning, and who deserves to live where. The paper examines how middle‐class suburban residents' mobilisation of the coloniality of space naturalises existing social and spatial hierarchies in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tanzania has experienced multiple dengue outbreaks between 2010 and 2019, caused by various dengue virus (DENV) strains. In 2019, there were 6917 confirmed dengue cases and 13 deaths in Tanzania. Routine diagnosis of dengue fever is unfortunately excluded, particularly during non-outbreak periods, resulting in delayed outbreak detection and control. The aim of this study was to improve early detection and control measures for DENV by investigating its circulation in human and Aedes aegypti (A.aegypti) mosquitoes during the non-outbreak periods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which is an area frequently affected by dengue outbreaks. Methods: Four hundred and fifteen (415) blood samples were collected from patients attending randomly selected health facilities in five wards; Azimio, Keko, Mtoni, Mbagala and Chamazi within Temeke district. The samples were tested for DENV NS1 antigen and anti-dengue IgM and IgG antibodies by rapid test. Then, 150 out of 415 blood samples were tested for the DENV by conventional Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Two thousand two hundred and fifty (2,250) adult female A.aegypti mosquitoes were collected using a Prokopack aspirator and BG sentinel trap or obtained after rearing immature stages and tested, in pools of 15 for DENV by RT-PCR. Statistical Software, SPSS version 23, was used for data analysis. Results: Of the tested blood samples, 17% (71/415) were positive by NS1 antigen, 0.5% (2/415) by IgM, 0.5% (2/415) by IgG antibodies, and 0.5% (2/415) by IgM and IgG. None of the samples tested positive by DENV RT-PCR. Moreover, 3.3% (5/150) of tested mosquito pools had DENV by RT-PCR. Individuals aged between 21 and 40 years of age had increased risk of testing positive for DENV NS1 antigen, followed by those aged 5–20 years old, particularly those residing from Azimio ward, Keko ward, Mtoni ward and Mbagala ward, p-value ≤ 0.05. Conclusion: Findings from this study revealed evidence of DENV circulation during non-outbreak periods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. These findings underscore the importance of including testing for dengue infection in routine differential diagnoses of febrile cases, and also frequent dengue surveillance in mosquitos. This proactive approach will help early DENV outbreak detection and control in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The housing market in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is expanding and with it a need for increased market transparency to guide investors and other stakeholders. The objective of this paper is to evaluate machine learning (ML) methods to appraise real estate in formal and informal housing markets in this nascent market sector. Various advanced ML models are applied with the aim of improving property value estimates in a market with limited access to information. The dataset used included detailed property characteristics and transaction data from both market types. Regression, decision trees, neural networks, and ensemble methods were employed to refine property appraisals across these settings. The findings indicate significant differences between formal and informal market valuations, demonstrating ML's effectiveness in handling limited data and complex market dynamics. These results emphasise the potential of ML techniques in emerging markets where traditional valuation methods often fail due to the scarcity of transaction data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) metabolism is becoming an increasingly complex process during urbanization due to increasing rates of consumption and emission worldwide. Understanding the urban N and P metabolism helps identifying production capacity, consumption demand, and the impact of N and P emissions on the environment, providing a scientific basis for decision‐making in sustainable utilization of N and P resources. Quantifying and mapping the source, path, and sinks of N and P in an urban system is the premise of controlling emissions. In this paper, we used the substance flow analysis (SFA) method to describe the N and P metabolism processes in the urban system of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) in 2017, and used the scenario‐based analysis method to understand the impact of different N and P metabolisms on potentially recoverable N and P sources by 2030. The results showed that the urban system of Dar es Salaam receives a total input flow of 28,101.8 tN/year and 3,379 tP/year, with a total output flow of 18,859.6 tN/year and 1,849.3 tP/year with net stock changes of 9,242.2 t/year for N and 1,529.7 t/year for P, respectively. We noticed that increased human activities largely represented the city's waste released after the household consumption, and would become the main causes of N and P emissions. In addition to this, 59.38%, 31.25%, and 9.38% of N flow quantification quality were at high, medium, and low levels, respectively, while 74.07%, 11.11%, and 14.81% of P flow quantification quality were at high, medium, and low levels, respectively. Our results suggest that implementing integrated nutrient management measures, such as changes in people's diets and the use of washing products, and improved management and technologies of manure, sewage, and landfill leachate treatment, would be the most effective approach to resolve the urban nutrient emissions in Dar es Salaam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though urban scholars have drawn our attention to the multiple water infrastructures serving urbanites in the global South, studies rarely explored the practice through which prices are produced and governed within the heterogeneous infrastructures that supply water beyond the utility. Drawing perspectives from everyday pricing practices and heterogeneous water infrastructures, we contribute to the scientific discourse on heterogeneous infrastructures, everyday practices and infrastructure governance by showing how multiple infrastructural systems beyond the utility network, such as hydro-mobile and private network water providers produced prices to mediate water collection. Prices were established based on the cost of electricity, fuel, repairs and maintenance, location and/or distance, nature of road connectivity to clients' residences, and providers' expected profit margins. Water providers' discretions and learning by doing enabled the continuity of pricing practices. The conventional practice of non-collective negotiation and bargaining produced specific prices between water providers and end-users. The novelty of the paper emanates from the ways in which prices are produced and governed. In contrast to conventional tariff systems, reflectivity, creativity, practical knowledge and experiences acquired by non-state actors over time works to produce prices. The involved non-state actors exercised regulatory power over prices of water produced and supplied beyond the utility. When prices were established, they remained subject to modification. We argue that the focus on pricing sheds light on an important aspect of heterogeneous infrastructure provision and governance: where varied prices are established outside formal regulation, they reflect, shape and exacerbate fine-grained socio-spatial differences between individuals within single neighbourhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli may easily be transmitted from poultry to humans and animals. Quinolone misuse in veterinary medicine, therefore, poses a significant public health risk. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of type II topoisomerase mutations commonly associated with resistance to quinolones in E. coli; in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: One hundred sixty E. coli samples isolated from broiler cloacal swabs in Dar es Salaam between March and August 2022 were evaluated and analyzed for quinolone resistance by disc diffusion and genetic methods. The study used two Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) techniques, one a Mismatch Amplification Mutation Assay (MAMA-PCR) and the other employing enzyme digestion of amplified products (PCR-RFLP). Both approaches targeted regions in type II topoisomerases (gyrA and parC) to determine quinolone resistance (QRDR). Results: Results showed considerable levels of quinolone resistance among E. coli isolated from broiler chickens, where 42.5% of the strains demonstrated non-susceptibility to both ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin. Moreover, a significant minority of isolates (5%) were non-susceptible only to ciprofloxacin. All isolates non-susceptible to both drugs harboured a substitution mutation (S83L) at the gyrA Ser-83 target site (a resistance marker) as revealed by PCR-RFLP. The genotypic-to-phenotypic agreement ratio for norfloxacin was 100%, in contrast to that of ciprofloxacin, which was 89.47%. However, as revealed by MAMA-PCR results, none of the isolates under study harboured parC80 (S80I) substitution mutation (a resistance marker) on the topoisomerase IV gene. Conclusion: Type II topoisomerase mutations other than the ones assayed in this study (gyrA Ser-83 or parC80) or other mechanisms of resistance might be contributing to the resistance against quinolones in E. coli strains circulating in broiler chickens in Dar es Salaam. The level of quinolone resistance revealed by this study calls for immediate intervention to mitigate its spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Rights-based Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) is crucial for quality of care and improved birth outcomes, yet RMC measurements are rarely included in facility improvement initiatives. We aimed to (i) co-create a routine RMC measurement tool (RMC-T) for congested maternity units in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and (ii) assess the RMC-T’s acceptability among women and healthcare stakeholders. Method We employed a participatory approach utilizing multiple mixed methods. This included a scoping review, stakeholder engagement involving postnatal women, healthcare providers, health leadership, and global researchers through interviews, focus groups, and two surveys involving 201 and 838 postnatal women. Cronbach’s alpha and factor analysis were conducted for validation using Stata 15. Theories of social practice and Thematic Framework of Acceptability guided the assessment of stakeholder priorities and tool acceptability. Results The multi-phased iterative co-creation process produced the 25-question RMC-T that measures satisfaction, communication, mistreatment (including physical, verbal, and sexual abuse; neglect; discrimination; lack of privacy; unconsented care; post-birth clean-up; informal payments; and denial of care), supportive care (such as food intake and mobility), birth companionship, post-procedure pain relief, bed-sharing, and newborn respect. The pragmatic validation process prioritized stakeholder feedback over strict statistics, lowering Cronbach’s alpha from 0.70 in version 1 to 0.57 for the RMC-T. Women valued the opportunity to share their experiences. Conclusions The RMC-T is contextualized, validated, and acceptable for measuring women’s experiences of RMC. Routine use in facility-based quality improvement initiatives, along with targeted actions to address gaps, will advance rights-based RMC. Further validation and community-based studies are needed.

Abstract Aflatoxin contamination of animal feed threatens livestock production and can harm human health when aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is carried over as aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) into milk for human consumption; therefore, aflatoxins in cattle concentrate feeds sold in Dar es salaam, Tanzania were determined in this study. Aflatoxins in cattle concentrate feeds were determined using Enzyme-linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (ELISA) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with a Fluorescent Detector (HPLC-FLD) and potential carry-over was determined using carry-over equations. Aflatoxins were found in 78% of the concentrate feed samples in the range LOD to 161.32 µg/kg. The mean total aflatoxins (TAFs) was 25.89 ± 3.3 µg/kg, higher than WHO/US-FDA limit of 20 µg/kg in feed although the difference was insignificant (P = 0.81). AFB1 mean was 18.87 ± 2.45 µg/kg and significantly exceeded the WHO/US-FDA limit of 5 µg/kg of AFB1 in dairy feed (P = 3.05 × 10–10). Aflatoxins B2, G1 and G2, were also detected ranging from ND – 75.06 µg/kg. The calculated AFM1 in milk was in the range 0.001 – 0.363 µg/L in low milkers, 0.002–0.666 µg/L in medium milkers and 0.002–0.806 µg/L in high milkers. Carry-over was estimated to range from 1.2 to 1.7%. This study revealed that concentrate feed sold in Dar es salaam was highly contaminated with aflatoxins; noteworthy aflatoxin B1 exceeded the WHO/US-FDA limit implying potential carry-over into milk which could expose milk consumers to aflatoxins, hence livestock feed chain participants need to be sensitized.

Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) is one of the fastest urbanising cities in sub-Saharan Africa, which has implications for its food security. Based on ethnographic research that focused on understanding how day-to-day agricultural practices are configured, we study the responses of farmers to a changing urban environment. We describe urban agriculture as an expression of active city-making; something which is uncommon since the agricultural sector is typically presented as passive and helpless in the face of urban growth. This paper shows that farmers, despite not being accounted for in urban narratives, co-shape what the city looks like and how it functions. By crafting networks of provision based on the informal access to land and water, they offer food, employment, and more for the improvement of their lives and the wider citizenry. In opposition to land pressure and water resource degradation, farmers adapt their agricultural strategies to benefit from what they can access while dealing with the uncertainties of changing realities. Based on our findings which reflect the characteristics of everyday urbanism, we discuss implications for theory and governance. With African cities risking to grow hungry, a better representation of urban farmers and their irrigated agricultural production in urban planning and governance reduces uncertainties and risks, both for farmers and the wider city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Africa, antibiotic residue investigations in animal food have primarily been focused on meat, neglecting farmed fish. This cross-sectional study conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, aimed to assess sulphonamide and tetracycline residues in farmed fish, comparing levels with Codex Alimentarius Commission's acceptable daily intake (ADI) and maximum residue limits (MRLs). A total of 84 farmed fish were sampled and analysed in the presence of tetracycline and sulphonamide residues. All samples were positive for sulphonamide residues (100%; n = 84), and 2.4% (n = 2) were positive for tetracycline and consequently also positive for both compounds. Tetracycline levels were below ADI and MRL, 28.5% (n = 24) surpassed the ADI, and 6% (n = 5) of the samples exceeded the MRL for sulphonamide. Regular monitoring of antibiotic residues in aquaculture products is crucial to mitigate health risks and expanding assessments to include other commonly used compounds is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background Flooding in Dar es Salaam is greatly contributed by the overall increase in daily rainfall amounts, generally identified as rainfall variability which contributes to the overall climate change. Climate change adaptation is the spearhead initiative towards moderating the potential damages associated with actual or anticipated changes in climate. Through variety of options, urban land use planning has emerged as among the options towards climate change adaptation implementation. Goal and Objectives: This study aimed at exploring the existing efforts and prospects for integrating climate change adaptation into urban land use planning in the rapid urbanizing city of Dar es Salaam. Methodology: Teta and Sokoni subwards were selected as case studies where review of documents, field observation, geospatial mapping, household surveys and key informant interviews were the data collection methods used. QGIS, SPSS and Global Mapper were the main softwares utilized in analyzing the data obtained. Results: Findings demonstrate that the preparation of detail planning schemes, construction of stormwater drainage and implementation of building codes are the most appealing efforts executed towards enhancing climate change adaptation through urban land use planning. The notable prospects towards enhancing climate change adaption through urban land use planning are mainly technological advancement, supportive legal frameworks and robust involvement of actors. It was also identified that, urban land use planning isn't a stand-alone component contributing to overall climate change adaptation hence other components such as; adaptation measures, institutional framework, resources and capacities were vital in the integration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization rates and weak development control machinery have led to exponential city sprawling to urban fringes. This paper examines how urban sprawl impacts livelihoods of urban fringe dwellers and their coping strategies. A multiple case strategy was deployed and a sustainable livelihoods framework was used in the analysis. Empirical data were obtained through literature review, household and key informant interviews, observations, Focus Group Discussions and analysis of satellite images. Results indicate that negatively urban sprawl has increased households' transport expenditure to work at unaffordable levels; traffic congestion; cost of food products; and inadequate provision of essential livelihood-enhancing facilities. Positively, urban sprawl has presented new livelihood opportunities and enabled households to access minimal social amenities and services. We recommend diversification of economic activities, change of economic activities, making urban fringe livelihoods key element of policy formulation and essential infrastructure and services provision to harness positive impacts and mitigate negative ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin contamination of animal feed threatens livestock production and can harm human health when aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is carried over as aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) into milk for human consumption; therefore, aflatoxins in cattle concentrate feeds sold in Dar es salaam, Tanzania were determined in this study. Aflatoxins in cattle concentrate feeds were determined using Enzyme-linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (ELISA) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with a Fluorescent Detector (HPLC-FLD) and potential carry-over was determined using carry-over equations. Aflatoxins were found in 78% of the concentrate feed samples in the range LOD to 161.32 µg/kg. The mean total aflatoxins (TAFs) was 25.89 ± 3.3 µg/kg, higher than WHO/US-FDA limit of 20 µg/kg in feed although the difference was insignificant (P = 0.81). AFB1 mean was 18.87 ± 2.45 µg/kg and significantly exceeded the WHO/US-FDA limit of 5 µg/kg of AFB1 in dairy feed (P = 3.05 × 10–10). Aflatoxins B2, G1 and G2, were also detected ranging from ND – 75.06 µg/kg. The calculated AFM1 in milk was in the range 0.001 – 0.363 µg/L in low milkers, 0.002–0.666 µg/L in medium milkers and 0.002–0.806 µg/L in high milkers. Carry-over was estimated to range from 1.2 to 1.7%. This study revealed that concentrate feed sold in Dar es salaam was highly contaminated with aflatoxins; noteworthy aflatoxin B1 exceeded the WHO/US-FDA limit implying potential carry-over into milk which could expose milk consumers to aflatoxins, hence livestock feed chain participants need to be sensitized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) is an important tool for assessing lung function, which can be affected by environmental and physical factors such as altitude, nutrition, genetics, age, height, and weight. Conducting a study to assess the correlation between peak expiratory flow rate and anthropometric measurements in Tanzanian schoolchildren is crucial to derive a population-specific prediction formula and further simplify respiratory health assessment. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in a single center private primary and secondary school in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania using data from an asthma screening camp. Variables of interest were height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) and PEFR. Independent t-test was performed to identify any differences in mean flow rate values between different ethnicities and genders. Correlation coefficients (r) were used to observe the relationship between PEFR and anthropometric measurements. A prediction equation by gender was generated using linear regression analysis. Statistical significance was set at the 5% level. All statistical data was analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Results The study involved 260 participants with a mean age of 9.5 years. Males were 51.2% and 65% of participants were of Asian ethnicity. PEFR was not observed to differ across the different ethnic groups and genders. Height was found to have the strongest correlation coefficient of 0.745, while BMI had the weakest correlation coefficient of 0.366. The strongest correlation was found with height for females (r = 0.787), while the weakest was with body mass index for boys (r = 0.203). The derived prediction equation for males was PEFR = 279.169 (Height of Student in meters) —134.12, while the predictive equation for females was PEFR = 318.32 (Height of Student in meters) —195.69. Conclusion This study found a strong correlation between PEFR and anthropometric characteristics in school children from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A prediction equation by gender for PEFR was developed based on anthropometric characteristics. This equation may be applied in population-based studies or situations where peak flow meters are not readily available. Further research is needed to explore how well this prediction formula performs in other Tanzanian settings and to determine other factors that may affect lung function in this population.

Abstract Introduction Tanzania has one of the highest burdens of perinatal mortality, with a higher risk among urban versus rural women. To understand the characteristics of perinatal mortality in urban health facilities, study objectives were: I. To assess the incidence of perinatal deaths in public health facilities in Dar es Salaam and classify these into a) pre-facility stillbirths (absence of fetal heart tones on admission to the study health facilities) and b) intra-facility perinatal deaths before discharge; and II. To identify determinants of perinatal deaths by comparing each of the two groups of perinatal deaths with healthy newborns. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study among women who gave birth in five urban, public health facilities in Dar es Salaam. I. Incidence of perinatal death in the year 2020 was calculated based on routinely collected health facility records and the Perinatal Problem Identification Database. II. An embedded case–control study was conducted within a sub-population of singletons with birthweight ≥ 2000 g (excluding newborns with congenital malformations); pre-facility stillbirths and intra-facility perinatal deaths were compared with ‘healthy newborns’ (Apgar score ≥ 8 at one and ≥ 9 at five minutes and discharged home alive). Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the determinants of deaths. Results A total of 37,787 births were recorded in 2020. The pre-discharge perinatal death rate was 38.3 per 1,000 total births: a stillbirth rate of 27.7 per 1,000 total births and an intra-facility neonatal death rate of 10.9 per 1,000 live births. Pre-facility stillbirths accounted for 88.4% of the stillbirths. The case-control study included 2,224 women (452 pre-facility stillbirths; 287 intra-facility perinatal deaths and 1,485 controls), 99% of whom attended antenatal clinic (75% with more than three visits). Pre-facility stillbirths were associated with low birth weight (cOR 4.40; (95% CI: 3.13-6.18) and with maternal hypertension (cOR 4.72; 95% CI: 3.30-6.76). Intra-facility perinatal deaths were associated with breech presentation (aOR 40.3; 95% CI: 8.75-185.61), complications in the second stage (aOR 20.04; 95% CI: 12.02-33.41), low birth weight (aOR 5.57; 95% CI: 2.62-11.84), cervical dilation crossing the partograph’s action line (aOR 4.16; 95% CI:2.29-7.56), and hypertension during intrapartum care (aOR 2.9; 95% CI 1.03-8.14), among other factors. Conclusion The perinatal death rate in the five urban hospitals was linked to gaps in the quality of antenatal and intrapartum care, in the study health facilities and in lower-level referral clinics. Urgent action is required to implement context-specific interventions and conduct implementation research to strengthen the urban referral system across the entire continuum of care from pregnancy onset to postpartum. The role of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy as a crucial determinant of perinatal deaths emphasizes the complexities of maternal-perinatal health within urban settings.

The housing market in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is expanding and with it a need for increased market transparency to guide investors and other stakeholders. The objective of this paper is to evaluate machine learning (ML) methods to appraise real estate in formal and informal housing markets in this nascent market sector. Various advanced ML models are applied with the aim of improving property value estimates in a market with limited access to information. The dataset used included detailed property characteristics and transaction data from both market types. Regression, decision trees, neural networks, and ensemble methods were employed to refine property appraisals across these settings. The findings indicate significant differences between formal and informal market valuations, demonstrating ML’s effectiveness in handling limited data and complex market dynamics. These results emphasise the potential of ML techniques in emerging markets where traditional valuation methods often fail due to the scarcity of transaction data.

This article studies the policy dynamics of irrigated agriculture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, based on stakeholder interviews and a literature review. We found that irrigated urban agriculture receives a positive reception supported by a discourse that values productivity, but this is increasingly challenged by a discourse that focuses on health and modernity. Whereas authorities aim for modern farming models, most urban farmers contribute to the city's economy and food system based on informal and insecure access to land and water. These two types of urban agriculture exemplify the tension between planning ideals and urban reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In daily life, street names primarily serve as navigational aids within urban environments. When examining their significance, they can either be descriptive or grouped thematically. Of particular interest in onomastic studies are commemorative street names, which, in essence, aim to evoke people, places, or events deemed significant to society. Beyond their semiotics, hodonyms can also feature prominently in literary works, either serving as a mere backdrop for the plot's location or actively shaping it. This is exemplified in two novels: The Night of Dar es Salaam (2014) by German author Hermann Schulz and The Book of Secrets (1994) by Indian-Tanzanian-Canadian author M. G. Vassanji. Both novels are set in colonial Dar es Salaam, and a comparative analysis reveals distinct uses of street names. In Schulz's novel, street names reinforce the protagonist's sense of disorientation, elevating the stops along the way as narrative focal points. These stops serve to create a narrative space for the central events. Conversely, in Vassanji's novel, street names establish a specific living environment where characters, firmly rooted in Dar es Salaam's historical and socio-cultural reality, navigate their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the critical role played by weights and measurements in business and more specifically in the area of fresh fruits and vegetables trade, still little is known about the utilisation of weights and measures among fresh fruits and vegetable traders in big markets in Dar es salaam. In this study, we specifically assessed the usage of weights and measurements among fresh fruits and vegetables in markets. What causes low usage of weights and measures instruments among informal traders and what impact does the use of weights and measures has on traders' businesses. The study was conducted in Dar es Salaam City at ilala and Stereo markets and used mixed methods approach with a sample of 200 respondents. Data were collected through questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Data were analysed descriptively by SPSS and content analysis manually. Findings provide that there is low usage of standard weighing and measuring instruments among fruits and vegetable traders in the markets and this was majorly caused by low awareness, traders perception and inadequate inspections. The study recommends periodic training to traders on the importance of using standard weights and measures in the businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adequate utilization of postnatal care services is associated with improved maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The World Health Organization recommends postnatal women attend postnatal care as early as seven days after delivery because most maternal deaths occur within 7 days of the postnatal period. However, many postnatalwomen attend postnatalcare very late during the 42 days and mainly for child immunization purposes. Little information is known on barriers to postnatalwomenwho delay initiating postnatal care clinics forsevendays post-delivery. This study explored barriers to attending early postnatal care among women attending early postnatal care services in Ubungo municipality, Dares Salaam. Methods: A cross-sectional study design using a qualitative approach was used to explore factors associated with early postnatal care attendance among postnatal women in Ubungo Municipal, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Study participants were purposively selected. In-depth interviews were used to collect data. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Thematic analysis approach was used to excerpt barriers to delaying seeking early postnatal care services in Ubungo Municipality. Findings: The finding revealed a lack of awareness of the appropriate time to start early postnatal care visits and the recommended number of postnatal visits, the perception of postnatal women that the postnatal period is a normal condition that does not require health personnel's attention, thus the perception that no need toinitiateearlypostnatalcareclinicsiftheywerenotsick. Similarly, long waiting times, transport costs, and healthcare providers' attitudes were major reasons reported by postnatal women to contribute to late postnatal care attendance. Thus, healthcare providers should continue providing education to pregnant women on when and the importance of attending early postnatal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to uneven networked water coverage in the Global South, varied water infrastructures operate beyond utility networks to serve denizens in Global South cities. This study proposes a framework of governance modalities, actors, and interactions to analyse the governance of heterogeneous non-network water infrastructures in Dar es Salaam. This framework builds on existing literature on urban water infrastructure, everyday practices, and governance. The paper demonstrates the coexistence of private water networks, self-supply systems, and communal and hydro-mobile infrastructure that enable water collection beyond utilities. Multiple governance modalities, including co-production, self-governance, market-oriented governance, co-governance, and networked governance, control these infrastructures. Hybrid governance arrangements produce interdependent infrastructures that challenge utility’s efforts by supplying water to suburbs beyond the utility’s pipes. However, diverse actors and powers, conflicting responsibilities, and (in)formal regulatory mechanisms are still embodied in these modalities. This can result in (un)even water distribution among urbanites and across urban spaces.

In developing countries, urbanization is dominated by the growth of informal settlements which represents 40–80% of major cities. The challenges brought up by the growth of informal settlements spans from social-economic to environmental. Previously, upgrading of the informal settlements focused on social-economic aspects such as provision of necessary services for the residents, whereas the quality of the outdoor thermal environment has not received much attention. This paper entails to investigate the potential of upgrading the outdoor thermal environment in informal settlements in the warm humid city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania through examining the influence of addition of trees with different Leaf Area Index (LAI) and incremental increase of buildings heights. The study uses simulation as a method for analysis of the warm season and calculates the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) as a thermal index. Results show substantial improvement of both microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort. Incremental increase of buildings heights in a street canyon to 12, 18, and 24 m leads to the reduction of PET by 2.5, 2.8, and 3.8 °C respectively at 2:00 p.m. Similarly, applying LAI's of 2, 4, and 6 m2/m2 leads to reduction of the mean radiant temperature by 7.9, 10.1, and 12.2 °C; while PET was reduced by 3.9, 4.7, and 5.6 °C respectively at 2:00 p.m. Nonetheless, upgrading of informal settlements shows marginal influence on the reduction of air temperature. Despite the noted thermal improvement in the studied area, the thermal comfort limits of the warm season were difficult to reach. The findings suggest that addition of vegetation is the economically most effective way for upgrading thermal conditions in informal urban fabric areas.

This article discusses the interplay of urban transport infrastructures and their need to and of discipline. Drawing on participatory observation, ride-alongs, and interviews, it elaborates the case of BRT introduction in Dar es Salaam and illustrates how various humans and nonhumans needed to be disciplined so that the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit system could become operational. Referring to the conceptualizations of mediating technologies (Latour, 1994) and disciplinary devices (Ureta, 2012), this article elaborates how the new transport system disciplines its environment, and how it is itself disciplined through different norms and materialities. However, discipline did not realize as planned. De-scriptions (Akrich, 1992) of the system's disciplining technologies occurred, as practices turned out differently. New forms and effective combinations of established practices and changing structures have led to fluid formations of urban transport. Two perspectives enable to deeply understand this transitional process. First, a sociotechnical perspective shows how agency has been (re)distributed and mediated through technologies and artefacts that were implemented to secure smooth bus operations. Second, a historical perspective elucidates how previous and prevalent practices of Tanzania's minibus system and other road users impacted the formation of DART. The article hence demonstrates that technological innovation and spatial reorganization do not only lead to new forms of discipline, but to ongoing mediations and negotiations of transport practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the discourse produced in Walter Rodney's How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (1972) as part of an intellectual genealogy at the University of Dar es Salaam and Rodney's involvement in a political landscape that was global in nature. The author proposes that the book offers a methodology of writing history, both in terms of the periodic expanse of such a history and positing the historical problematic. She argues that Rodney produces a universal history insofar as universality is assumed in the social relations of exploitation and consequently solidarities of revolutionary praxis globally. This necessitates a further interrogation into the historical question that, the author posits, in Rodney's work lies in deciphering the spaces of contradictions and crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to uneven networked water coverage in the Global South, varied water infrastructures operate beyond utility networks to serve denizens in Global South cities. This study proposes a framework of governance modalities, actors, and interactions to analyse the governance of heterogeneous non-network water infrastructures in Dar es Salaam. This framework builds on existing literature on urban water infrastructure, everyday practices, and governance. The paper demonstrates the coexistence of private water networks, self-supply systems, and communal and hydro-mobile infrastructure that enable water collection beyond utilities. Multiple governance modalities, including co-production, self-governance, market-oriented governance, co-governance, and networked governance, control these infrastructures. Hybrid governance arrangements produce interdependent infrastructures that challenge utility's efforts by supplying water to suburbs beyond the utility's pipes. However, diverse actors and powers, conflicting responsibilities, and (in)formal regulatory mechanisms are still embodied in these modalities. This can result in (un)even water distribution among urbanites and across urban spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater is increasingly being reused as a solution to water scarcity in agriculture. This article combines a literature review with an ethnographic study of water reuse in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to explore the field of wastewater reuse and what it is made to represent. The academic literature largely focuses on the practical challenges of wastewater treatment, while underlying political dynamics that contextualise the planning of, and control over, water flows remain largely unaddressed. Because people seek to take control over water through the manipulation of flows and qualities, wastewater reuse is inherently political. The study of water reuse practices in Dar es Salaam shows how water quality decline is co-produced with processes of urbanisation that cause inequalities in the urban waterscape. Farmers are subject to changes in the physical characteristics and normative understandings of the urban water system, yet do not have the power to reconfigure these to their own ends or challenge the way that their practices are portrayed. This paper shows the importance of politicising wastewater reuse and calls for a more diverse and emancipatory understanding of, and response to, water reuse in agriculture through interdisciplinary research and the collaborative production of knowledge and interventions.

The perception of stigma can contribute to virological failure among people living with HIV (PLHIV). This study was conducted to find out how stigmatization and self-stigma affect the ability of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to keep their viral load down. This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted in Temeke Regional Referral Hospital (RRH) and Amana RRH at the Care and Treatment Clinic (CTC) between July and August 2020 using a structured questionnaire with open- and close-ended questions. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors of viral load suppression. The Chi-square test was used to compare the factors of stigmatization and viral load suppression. Altogether, 406 PLHIV participated, with the most being female respondents, 298 (73.2%). The majority (50%) were aged between 25 and 44 years, whereas 171 (42.5%) respondents were married. Most of the participants, 382 (94.6%), were on a dolutegravir-based regimen, with the majority, 215 (52.8%), having a refill interval of three months. Most respondents, 379 (93.1%), disclosed their status. Most participants, 355 (87.4%), preferred having a separate HIV clinic, while 130 (32.1%) participants were not ready to be attended by the health care workers (HCWs) familiar to them. Male patients were 60% less likely to suppress their viral load as compared to female patients (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.4, 95% confidence interval [95%]: 0.19–0.77, p-value = 0.007). The refill interval was significantly associated with viral load suppression. For example, patients with a one-month refill interval had odds of 0.01 (95% CI: 0.003–0.42, p-value = 0.0001) compared to six-month refill intervals. Stigmatization elements appeared to influence viral load suppression among PLHIV in the Dar es Salaam area, significantly predicting viral load outcomes when gender and time between refills were considered.

This study examined the influence of customer experience on the preference for online bus booking services in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Specifically, the study aims to: i) Determine the influence of familiarity with online booking services on the customer preference for online bus booking services, ii) Examine the influence of perception on the customer preference for online booking services, iii) Examine the influence of customer satisfaction on the customer preference for online bus booking services. The study employed a convergent parallel research design whereas both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. A sample of 384 users of buses for their transport was involved using a questionnaire that was administered through Google form as one of the web-based tools. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis whereas quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics whereas mean scores, standard deviations, frequency, and percent were computed. Further, a binary logistic regression model was performed to analyze quantitative data. The findings show that customer perception and satisfaction were statistically significant in influencing customers' preference for online bus booking. The study recommends to all key players in the bus transport sector make use of the findings to enrich policies and strategies in the adoption of online bus booking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncontrolled urban expansion with rapid population growth causes great pressure on the urban environment. The index of impervious surface area (ISA) has recently been used for the dynamic monitoring of urban expansion. This paper takes Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, as an example, combined with multi-source data to obtain urban impervious surface component data on an annual scale, based on which the spatial–temporal characteristics of the city's expansion are concluded: first, urban expansion showed an evidently phased pattern, with a steady annual growth rate of 2.9% during 2000–2005, and a low rate of 1.4% during 2006–2010, then a relatively high rate of 3.3% in the period of 2011–2019. Secondly, urban expansion hotspots emerged in areas along the main roads extending from the center to the south and north, but coastal expansion and infilling development became evident after 2015, with the impervious surface significantly increasing in areas with poor traffic. Third, urban land expansion, which lags significantly behind population growth, has eased, as the ratio of population growth rate to land expansion is declining, from 2.9 in the period 2002–2012 to 2.0 in the period 2012–2019. Finally, the influence of population, economy, traffic and nature on the evolution of impervious surfaces are analyzed. This paper puts forward corresponding strategic suggestions for land-use policies and analyzes the trend of urban growth spatiotemporal patterns in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvaging electronic waste (e-waste) is a critical sector for global south cities. Salvaging complements the gap of under-resourced waste-collecting and handling institutions. It also offers employment and steady income to many struggling under high unemployment and economic inequalities. How can we understand e-waste salvaging and its malcontents in a polarized global south city? Based on 14 months of ethnographic fieldwork among informal electronic waste recyclers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, I explore e-waste salvaging and its polarization through walking in Dar es Salaam cityscapes. Walking with my walimu (teachers) during their labour, I travelled along the trail of value production; things moved, and people moved to generate value. Arguably, walking connects different parts of the city, material objects, histories, and violence, enhancing the city’s knowledge and materiality. This article focuses on collecting, the first stage of the e-waste salvaging process, which further down the value circle includes reusing, dismantling, sorting, and repurposing. I argue that e-waste collection in Dar es Salaam can be very well understood through walking, the primary labour method used by electronic waste gatherers (e-gatherers). Crucially, walking exposes the ethnographer to physical obstacles, ingenuity, valorization processes and violence of post-modern consumerism that waste collectors experience during their endeavours. Walking also enhances understanding of class polarisation, inequality in the distribution of built infrastructures, and colonial histories that persevere.

The huge amount of water in faecal sludge (FS) has been presented as one of the major faecal sludge management (FSM) challenges and concerns. Jatropha curcas (JC) has been adopted as a dewatering and disinfection solution for FS treatment. However, very little is known about the agricultural suitability of their physical–chemical characteristics, nutrient and pathogen levels. The agricultural suitability of by-products from the unplanted sand drying beds was investigated by assessing the physical–chemical parametric indices, Wilcox diagram and pathogen removal rate. The qualitative method was adopted for both untreated and treated FS samples. A total of 60 samples for dry sludge and 70 samples for both leachates from control and JC chambers were analyzed for three months. Its agricultural suitability was judged by the level of salinity and sodium hazard in leachate and pathogen levels. The results showed that the salinity level of leachate from the JC chamber falls under medium- and low-risk levels. The removal efficiency of Escherichia coli by JC in leachate was from 7 ± 2 × 109 CFU/g to 6 ± 1 × 102 CFU/100 mL. Treating FS with JC is suitable for reducing salinity and sodium hazards in leachate hence favourable for irrigation. Further treatment of dry sludge is required before being used for agriculture. HIGHLIGHTS Agricultural suitability of treated faecal sludge.; Potentiality of treating faecal sludge using Jatropha curcas.; Enhancement of FS treatment on unplanted sand beds using Jatropha curcas.; The efficiency of Jatropha curcas in the treatment of faecal sludge for agricultural use.; The potential of Jatropha curcas for small farmers in Dar es Salaam.;

Floods are increasingly affecting cities around the world. As a result, displacement and resettlement of floodaffected households have become the norm in many parts of the world. While resettlement may be necessary to address flood vulnerabilities, including protecting the lives of those affected, empirical studies on the post-resettlement well-being of the resettled population are scarce. This paper presents empirical findings on the livelihood situation of flood-resettled households in Dar es Salaam. The results are based on key informant and household interviews and focus group discussions with resettled households. The findings show that the resettlement area’s location in the peri-urban of the city resulted in various challenges, including inaccessibility to basic facilities and high transportation costs, with households spending an average of TZS 2,000 (~US$1) to reach a public transportation facility, i.e., a bus stand. Resettled households also have lower income levels ranging from less than TZS 50,000 (12%) to between TZS 50,000 and TZS 500, 000 (75%). While weak social ties, a lack of trust among household members, and the social stress of loss of privacy were typical challenges among resettled households, vulnerable groups, particularly women and children, were exposed to increased vulnerability. The observed post-resettlement livelihood situation is influenced by the pre-resettlement conditions of the households, characterized by large household sizes ranging from 5 to 6 members (55%) to more than seven members (35%), low education levels (77%), and informal employment, largely petty trading (56%). The paper suggests that when resettling flood-affected households, the context-specific characteristics of the affected population, such as demographic and socio-economic characteristics, and their needs, be considered to improve post-resettlement livelihood sustainability.

The perception of stigma can contribute to virological failure among people living with HIV (PLHIV). This study was conducted to find out how stigmatization and self-stigma affect the ability of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to keep their viral load down. This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted in Temeke Regional Referral Hospital (RRH) and Amana RRH at the Care and Treatment Clinic (CTC) between July and August 2020 using a structured questionnaire with open- and close-ended questions. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors of viral load suppression. The Chi-square test was used to compare the factors of stigmatization and viral load suppression. Altogether, 406 PLHIV participated, with the most being female respondents, 298 (73.2%). The majority (50%) were aged between 25 and 44 years, whereas 171 (42.5%) respondents were married. Most of the participants, 382 (94.6%), were on a dolutegravir-based regimen, with the majority, 215 (52.8%), having a refill interval of three months. Most respondents, 379 (93.1%), disclosed their status. Most participants, 355 (87.4%), preferred having a separate HIV clinic, while 130 (32.1%) participants were not ready to be attended by the health care workers (HCWs) familiar to them. Male patients were 60% less likely to suppress their viral load as compared to female patients (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.4, 95% confidence interval [95%]: 0.19–0.77, p-value = 0.007). The refill interval was significantly associated with viral load suppression. For example, patients with a one-month refill interval had odds of 0.01 (95% CI: 0.003–0.42, p-value = 0.0001) compared to six-month refill intervals. Stigmatization elements appeared to influence viral load suppression among PLHIV in the Dar es Salaam area, significantly predicting viral load outcomes when gender and time between refills were considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater is increasingly being reused as a solution to water scarcity in agriculture. This article combines a literature review with an ethnographic study of water reuse in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to explore the field of wastewater reuse and what it is made to represent. The academic literature largely focuses on the practical challenges of wastewater treatment, while underlying political dynamics that contextualise the planning of, and control over, water flows remain largely unaddressed. Because people seek to take control over water through the manipulation of flows and qualities, wastewater reuse is inherently political. The study of water reuse practices in Dar es Salaam shows how water quality decline is co-produced with processes of urbanisation that cause inequalities in the urban waterscape. Farmers are subject to changes in the physical characteristics and normative understandings of the urban water system, yet do not have the power to reconfigure these to their own ends or challenge the way that their practices are portrayed. This paper shows the importance of politicising wastewater reuse and calls for a more diverse and emancipatory understanding of, and response to, water reuse in agriculture through interdisciplinary research and the collaborative production of knowledge and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to gain a better understanding of sexual harassment acts experienced by female passengers on the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) operated by UDART in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and to recommend factors for reducing the practice. The study specifically investigated factors that contribute to harassment, passenger coping strategies with harassment, and strategies for alleviating harassment. In-depth interviews with approximately 30 women who regularly use public transport and two UDART/BRT officials were conducted using a qualitative design. The data was collected using a phenomenology strategy, and the data was analysed using a thematic analysis strategy. The Swahili transcriptions were translated into English and analysed using MAXQDA 10 [VERBI Software, Marburg, Germany]. The nature of sexual harassment experienced by female customers includes; unwanted sexual contact, unintended touching, abusive words, and unwanted gestures. Moral decay, mental disorders in some men, a lack of strong legal enforcement, poor transportation arrangements, and a patriarchy system are all factors that expose women to sexual harassment on public transportation. Women coped with harassment by owning and operating personal vehicles, hiring motorbikes (bodaboda), avoiding service during peak hours, and deciding to accept the consequences when there was no other option. Expansion and establishment of new BRT road routes, procurement and registration of more buses, and the establishment of student buses are all strategies for combating sexual harassment in public transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban nitrogen discharge has become an important factor leading to urban water environment deterioration, water crisis, and frequent air pollution. Human consumption is the driving force of nitrogen flow and the core of urban nitrogen research. Based on the process of nitrogen flow in the urban human system, combined with the relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and taking Dar es Salaam as an example, we established a generic analytical framework for sustainable nitrogen management and put forward the strategies of sustainable nitrogen management in the urban human system. The main conclusions are as follows. (1) Waste nitrogen discharge affected the environment quality. 5286 t of N (5095 t of N-NH3, 86 t of N-N2O, and 105 t of N-NOx) was emitted into the atmosphere that affected air quality. 9304 t of N was discharged into surface water and 203 t of N was leaked, which had a negative impact on the prevention and control of surface water pollution. And 8334 t of N pose a potential threat to environmental quality. (2) Nitrogen management in Dar es Salaam faced huge challenges. From the perspective of nitrogen flow of the urban human system, the diet structure and household energy structure need to be optimized, and food waste is serious. Sewage treatment and garbage treatment are seriously insufficient, and the corresponding technologies are backward. In order to solve the existing problems of nitrogen flow in the urban human system and include sustainable nitrogen management under future challenges of growing population and economy, we proposed strategies including healthy diet guidance, reducing food waste, detailed assessment of household nitrogen accumulation, transformation of household energy structure to low nitrogen emission energy, increasing nitrogen recycling ratio, and infrastructure improvement of sewage treatment and garbage treatment, hence contributing to the achievement of related SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of growing urbanization, sanitation in many cities is in acute crisis with severe social and environmental consequences. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of sanitation for all by 2030 is increasingly elusive. Municipalities have been experimenting with a range of lower-cost sanitation solutions. Simplified Sewerage Systems (SSS) have emerged in different cities as one response, but with mixed results. This paper evaluates an SSS project in an informal settlement in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Drawing on a combination of a survey and focus group discussions, the paper examines the social and economic impacts of the SSS and identifies a set of key concerns for future urban sanitation interventions: affordability, maintenance and governance. We conclude by considering the implications for future research and practice on urban sanitation, including the limits of technology-based approaches and the necessity to focus on the diverse needs of residents in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unwarranted and improper uses of antibiotics in broiler farms contribute to the challenge of antibiotic resistance, making even previously treatable infections, difficult to treat. We conducted a cross sectional study from November 2021 to May 2022 from broiler chicken markets in four districts of Dar es Salaam to determine the extent of antibiotic resistance among E. coli isolates from broiler chickens. A total of 160 E. coli isolates recovered from cloacal swabs were identified by culture and biochemical tests and confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assays. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, targeting seven classes of antibiotics, was performed by disk diffusion method and eleven representative antimicrobial resistance markers corresponding to each antibiotic class were screened by PCR. The highest resistance was found against trimethoprim (75%) and erythromycin (74.37%), while the most common resistance gene was dfrA1 (74.37%) and blaTEM (73.75%). The study also found a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant isolates (84.4%) from at least three antibiotic classes. The results highlight the significant contribution of poultry farming to the spread of antibiotic resistance, with potential consequences for both farmers and human health. Prompt measures are necessary to protect human and animal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use land cover (LULC) changes affect the planet's energy balance and region's climate. Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a vital indicator of this change. Studies in Dar es Salaam Metropolitan City have investigated LST and its relationships with building heights and densities, urban heat islands, spectral indices, and urban morphological determinants. The present study used cross-sectional profiles, chord diagrams, and simple linear regression models to examine the influence of LULC changes on the LST in Dar es Salaam Metropolitan City (DMC). LST was extracted from Landsat 5 TM and 8 OLI/TIRS images for 1995, 2009, and 2017. LULC was identified via the supervised random forest classification algorithm. Between 1995 and 2017, built-up areas rose by 8%, vegetation fell 7%, and bare soil 3%. As a result, the average LST rose by 3 °C. Built-up areas had the highest temperatures (24-26.5 °C), followed by bare soil (22-25.5 °C). The lowest temperatures (21-25 °C) were on vegetation and water. Built-up area positively correlated with LST, while vegetation, water bodies, and bare soil negatively correlated. The study results can assist local authorities in enforcing urban planning regulations, raising public awareness, and guiding policymakers in creating sustainable planning and management strategies for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coprophobia characterizes faecal sludge (FS) as an unpleasing raw or partially digested faecal waste with no recycling value. However, this so-called waste is claimed to have tremendous recycling values after being pyrolyzed. This study hypothesized that char briquettes made from FS might have the potential of replacing charcoal consumption in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Quantitative methods were used to examine the proximate, emissions and environmental benefits of faecal sludge char briquettes in comparison to wood charcoal from Dalbergia melanoxylon (locally known as Mpingo). Results revealed that FS collected during the dry season exhibited a higher total solids content (26%) compared to that collected during the rainy season (20%). This difference was statistically significant (p = 6.12405E-14 at α=0.05). Dewatering and further drying the FS to a minimum of 90% total solids yielded an energy value of 11-12 MJ/kg, which was lower than that of uncarbonized wood (firewood) at 19 MJ/kg. Production of FS char briquettes bonded by paper waste has a lower energy value (13 MJ/kg) than that bonded by cassava starch (14.6 MJ/kg). The average energy value of FS char briquettes is almost half that of wood charcoal (26 MJ/kg), meaning that the replacement of 1 kg of charcoal consumption would require 2 kg of FS char briquettes is required. Nevertheless, due to an ineffective collection of FS to be used in the production of char briquettes, only 8% of charcoal consumption in the city can be replaced. It is recommended to use the produced briquettes in open kitchens with ample oxygen circulation, as they emit carbon monoxide levels exceeding the allowable limits set by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards.

The paper discusses the persistence of floods focusing attention on the city of Dar es Salaam (DSM), where over 10% of the Tanzanian population resides. Beyond the metaphor of exploding population growth, the city has witnessed recurring floods. Whilst studies abound on the vulnerability and socio-economic losses associated with flood hazards, limited studies exist about the persistence of flood hazards in DSM. This study attempts to analyse (i) the various factors that exacerbate flooding in Dar es Salaam; and (ii) the extent of interdependency and interconnection of the various factors. A thorough systematic desk review of the literature was conducted focusing on Dar es Salaam. The literature surveyed shows how colonial planning legacy has (in)directly shaped the geomorphology of DSM, and instigated the persistence of present-day floods. Specifically, rapid spatial urbanization in informality, weak capacity in spatial development control, limited coverage of drainage infrastructure, geomorphology, climate change and variability, and low coverage of solid waste collection were discovered as the major factors exacerbating floods in DSM. Besides the interdependency and interconnected nature of these factors, the review showed how the persistence of flood hazards in Dar es Salaam is influenced by the coexistence and synergistic forces of the aforementioned: rapid spatial urbanization with informality, weak capacity in spatial development control, limited coverage of drainage infrastructure, geomorphology, climate change and variability and low coverage of solid waste collection. The study recommends that urban planners pay attention to city-specific context and the interlinked nature of the factors exacerbating floods in tailoring interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its establishment by the German East Africa Railway Company in 1906, Dar es Salaam’s electricity infrastructure has been functioning precariously. Tanzania’s national power company (Tanesco) collaborated with donors to ameliorate these problems, but to no avail. Tanzania’s cities continued to experience both cascading and rolling blackouts, and such breakdowns of infrastructure became critical, especially from the 1980s onward, making electricity consumers vulnerable. This article illustrates that the failure of Tanesco’s systems does not mean that inhabitants in the city have remained passively exposed to the consequences of power breakdowns. Based on interviews, a literature review, and archival material, it demonstrates that electricians have become part and parcel of a socio-technical landscape that has enhanced household resilience—the ability to survive in a country partly plagued by failing critical infrastructure. The article reveals the active role played by formally and informally trained electricians (mafundi) in forging alternative solutions, increasing electricity users’ ability to cope with power outages. Employing innovative skills to repair electrical appliances and tinker with Tanesco’s infrastructure, street electricians increased the resilience of residential electricity users in the face of recurrent power failures. The author argues that urban resilience studies in African cities like Dar es Salaam need to consider street technicians to gain a full understanding of households’ responses to vulnerable electric infrastructure.