To cope with the drought, the authorities in Tanzania have since October 27 decided to cut off the water every other day. Due to the drying up of the Ruvu River, the main source of the economic capital Dar es Salaam, the volume of water has increased from 466 to around 300 million liters per day.
Every drop of rain counts in Tanzania these days, as several areas have seen no or very little rain in recent months. And this season does not announce better days. Faced with this situation, the Dar es Salaam authorities are calling for collective responsibility to avoid a water shortage.
For 24 hours, every other day, the 5.5 million inhabitants of the economic capital have to give up this precious resource. A situation that is likely to last, especially as the drought continues to worsen, warn meteorologists.
This is not the first time that Tanzania has rationed water. The country has been facing since 2018 a “ water stress ”, that is to say that it takes more water than it has available in the water tables and in its stocks, according to a report by the World Bank.
The problem this time is that the lack of water also affects the electricity supply. Hydropower plants in the cities of Tonga and Kilimanjaro, in particular, depend on the Ruvu River. And the drop in the level of the river, of more than 40%, unheard of, raises fears of power cuts. Water access restrictions will remain in place until levels rise. But the scarcity has also spurred calls for sustainable solutions to bridge the water deficit.
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The signals are alarming. If urgent action is not taken immediately, we may well be shutting off the taps permanently.
Water restriction in Tanzania: the analysis of Faizal Issa, climate change expert