Contribution of Urban Open Space Governance to Environmental Management in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Insights from Vingunguti Ward

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has placed immense pressure on limited urban open spaces, which play vital roles in flood mitigation, waste management, and microclimate regulation. This study examined the contribution of urban open space governance to environmental management in Vingunguti Ward, Ilala Municipality. Adopting a mixed-methods case study design, data were collected from 376 residents and local government officials through structured questionnaires, semi-structured key-informant interviews, and documentary review. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation in SPSS version 27, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Findings revealed that urban open spaces in the ward are in poor condition, with more than half of respondents rating protection from encroachment (56.9 %), drainage function (51.6 %), and cleanliness (48.1 %) as poor. Governance performance was moderate overall (mean scores 2.76–3.15), with the lowest ratings for
enforcement of open space protection (M = 2.87) and institutional coordination (M = 2.76). Nevertheless, governance indicators showed statistically significant positive correlations with environmental outcomes (r = 0.62, p < 0.01), particularly between enforcement effectiveness and flood mitigation (r = 0.62) and between institutional coordination and waste reduction (r = 0.57). Community participation remained moderate and inconsistent. The study concludes that the quality of governance not merely the existence of open spaces determines their contribution to environmental management. Strengthening regulatory enforcement, inter-agency coordination, and participatory mechanisms offers a practical pathway to enhance ecological resilience in rapidly urbanizing Tanzanian cities.