Hidden Diversity in an Urban/Rural Dichotomy: A Case Study for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Marcia C. De Castro, Princeton University

The diversity not captured by a dichotomous urban/rural classification plays an important role in the outcome of human events. For example, urbanization is crucial for studying malaria transmission in Africa, since incidence rates are low in highly urbanized areas, intense in rural settings, and transitory from in peri-urban zones. This paper aims to highlight differences in the level of urbanization in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Semivariograms will be applied to aerial photographs of the city. Evaluation of the semivariogram components and functional form should facilitate the characterization of different patterns of urban development across the city. Moreover, those patterns should reveal a wide diversity in malaria transmission across Dar es Salaam. Those results should shed light on critical areas to be targeted for malaria control in Dar es Salaam, and facilitate the selection of the best combination of interventions that should be put into place in each area.