Dar es Salaam is a region where urban flooding disproportionately affects informal settlements. The power to act early often lies not with technology, but with people.
This talk showcases how OpenMap Development Tanzania (OMDTZ) has worked to place communities, not just tools, at the center of anticipatory action. By training and mobilizing youth, local leaders, and elders based on data collection, OMDTZ enabled vulnerable communities to lead flood preparedness efforts from within.
Participants were trained to use the simple, open tool ODK to map risk prone areas such as blocked drains and report on water level on the river during the rain . But more than just mapping, they became part of the decision making process, identifying: Safe shelters and evacuation paths, Impassable roads during floods, and areas with inadequate drainage or past flood impact through participatory mapping.

Beyond the data, this process built a sense of ownership, Local leaders and community participants during the group discussion and training are now ambassadors in their community on why they need to take early action, such as clearing their blocked drains and making sure all trash is collected before the rainy season, to reduce the impact of flooding in their communities
We’ll share:
The model for engaging different community groups in anticipatory action

Lessons from working in both urban and peri-urban settings

The transformation of mappers into advocates and preparedness leaders

Real-world action: how local leader in informal settlements inform their community on early warnings

Attendees will walk away with a community first approach to preparedness, useful for any context where local knowledge is rich but formal warning systems are weak.