Tanzania: Incorporating climate resilience into the Improving Rural Access in Tanzania programme

IMC Worldwide has been contracted by the Department for International Development (DFID) to assist in the development of rural roads in Tanzania by building climate resilience into the Improving Rural Access in Tanzania (IRAT) Programme.

The Department for International Development (DFID) has been supporting rural roads in Tanzania through the Improving Rural Access in Tanzania (IRAT) Programme.

The IMC Worldwide-led consortium, including Acclimatise Group Ltd, Cordial Solutions Ltd and Orion Consulting Associates, aims to assist with the development of rural roads in Tanzania by incorporating climate resilience into the IRAT Programme.

IMC aims to build up a better understanding of climate risk and vulnerability of the rural roads and the communities they serve. This will result in the development of a practicable climate change adaptation strategy for the sector, including funding options, which can be replicated in IRAT’s successor programme.

The 16-month project is incorporating adaptation principles into the planning, financing and design of road improvement and maintenance works, as well as recommending an appropriate funding mechanism for emergency responses to road network failures.

A comprehensive Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (CVRA) methodology is being developed, including exposure, vulnerability, hazards and hotspot GIS maps of the country. The CVRA is identifying and evaluating the effects of climate change on the rural road transport infrastructure and will recommend resilience measures to potentially be included in the proposed rural road investment plans to reduce the impact on the community.

IMC is providing continued construction supervision support to the Presidents Office Regional and Local Government and the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency through regular monitoring visits, to ensure that the ongoing IRAT implementation is meeting the required standards.

To aid the development of IRAT, IMC is undertaking the following:

• A methodology in the pilot district of Bahi to assess the climate vulnerability, risks and impacts on the rural road network and rural communities.
• Assess the current rural road sector plans to produce climate adaptation strategies for the road network and communities in the pilot areas.
• Evaluate the current rural road planning, budgeting and design process and develop guidelines, which enable district engineers to incorporate climate adaptation.
• Review rural road and associated structures’ design standards and specifications, developing guidelines to make them climate resilient.
• Disseminate findings to key stakeholders and train road engineering staff in climate change development.
• Perform an options study to improve funding of emergency works and climate change adaptation.

IMC will monitor the establishment of IRAT, delivering reports on progress, cost and quality of the works.