Copenhagen — Dar es Salaam is among 15 cities in the world which are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, a report released at the just ended climate summit here indicated.

The report, published as a book titled 'Climate Change and the Urban Poor' was released by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), an international research organisation based in UK.

The 15 cities - three in Asia and the rest in Africa -are all IN least developed countries (LDCs) with low gross national income, weak human assets and high level of economic vulnerability. But they account for only 3.2 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Besides Dar es Salaam, other cities are in Benin, Mozambique, Mali, Mauritania, Malawi, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Senegal in Africa.

Other cities are Thimphu in Bhutan, Khulna in Bangladesh and Kathmandu in Nepal from Asia. The report says Dar es salaam, located along the Indian Ocean coast, will be affected by climate change predominantly by flooding, a rise in sea level and coastal erosion.

In most cases, climate change has already affected large parts of coastal areas with wide spread erosion and flooding and that they continue to devastate vast areas of the coastal areas.

The conducted survey has established that a rise in sea level would aggravate existing ecological problems through increased rates of coastal erosion, more persistent flooding, loss of wetlands, increased salination of ground water and soil and greater influx of diverse pollutants.

The study shows that coastal erosion has been rampant in many parts of coastal areas in the country but it is more pronounced in north of Dar es Salaam.

Kunduchi Beach and Bahari Beach suburbs have been eroded to such extent that heavy investment has been suggested to ensure their preservation.

Due to severe impact of climate change, beach strips in Kunduchi area have been gradually washed away by strong waves and has retreated by about 200 metres over the last 50 years and the trend if threatening a the nearby village.

According to the report, the biggest threat for coastal cities is a rise in sea level and they often suffer from flooding and coastal erosion. Many coastal cities in LDCs are found in tropical areas, with hot and humid climates and low-lying land, both of which heighten their vulnerability.

The report says only two percent of the world's land is in the low elevation coastal zone - the area adjacent to the coast that is less than ten metres above sea level - but this zone is home to 10 percent of the world's population, 60 percent of whom live in urban areas.

"Often this group experience flooding, coastal erosion, high temperature and storm, violent wind, drought, landslide, water scarcity and wildfire," says the report.

In dry-land cities, where rainfall has always been low, drought was the issue most likely to be accentuated by climate change.

Studies have shown the children in Africa, born in a drought year, are significantly most likely to be malnourished.

Information provided in this report was gathered and analysed by capacity strengthening in the least developed countries for adaptation to climate change (CLACC) programme.