This research project focuses on investigating adaptation measures to climate change and coping strategies for climate-induced disasters in informal peri-urban areas of Tanga City, Tanzania. The aim is to address the limited understanding of how climate change impacts livelihoods and the resilience of communities in these areas. By examining community initiatives and coping mechanisms, the study seeks to co-develop novel approaches for enhancing community-based adaptation capacity and resilience to climate-induced disasters.

With an estimated 122 million people, many of whom are poor and face significant challenges accessing adequate, safe, and nutritious food every day, Ethiopia has some of the most vulnerable food systems in the world to climate change. The country is experiencing historically severe droughts, leading to 22.7 million people being food insecure and vulnerable to flooding, and thousands displaced every year as a result. Due to weak economies and governance, Ethiopia has low adaptive capacity and is vulnerable to climate change. 

The URiCCA project, conducted in collaboration with the Western Cape Disaster Management Centre by researchers from both Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town, aims to enhance decision-making on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. It involves retrospective analysis of lessons from past disasters and developing and piloting an event surveillance methodology to systematically collect data on disasters and high-impact climate-related events.