DOI - Mendel University Press

DOI identifiers

DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-087-0-0423

WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT AND RECREATIONAL TOURISM IN DAR ES SALAAM: A REVIEW OF CURRENT CHALLENGES

Azizi Selemani Msuya1,2, Veronika Piscová2,3
1 College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, P.O Box 3031, 25000 Moshi, Tanzania
2 Department of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Trieda A. Hlinku 1, 94901 Nitra, Slovakia
3 Institute of Landscape Ecology – branch Nitra, Akademicka 2, 949 10 Nitra, Slovakia


As the primary gateway for tourists in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam faces critical wastewater management challenges that directly threaten the integrity of its tourism industry. The majority of the city’s wastewater is discharged untreated into the Indian Ocean. For sustainable tourism, this translates into beach pollution, health risks for visitors, and a loss of aesthetic appeal. Sustainable tourism requires a safe and hygienic environment; however, odors and visible pollution in tourist areas are in direct conflict with the concept of 'ecotourism.' This study aims to identify key practices, successes, and failures, and to explore future prospects for wastewater management in relation to recreational tourism in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A systematic search and review of peer-reviewed and grey literature were conducted using electronic databases such as ScienceDirect, Jstor, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. To ensure the stability of the tourism sector, we recommend the implementation of small-scale treatment plants directly within hotel complexes and tourist resorts, along with the construction of artificial wetlands to naturally filter wastewater. Furthermore, essential collaboration between municipal authorities and tourism operators is required, focusing on financing the modernization of the sewerage network in key locations.

Keywords: ecotourism, sustainable tourism, tourism infrastructure development, recreational water quality, Tanzania

pages: 423-426, Published: 2026, online: 2026



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