SEO Riders
– Rapid Urbanisation Exposes African Cities to Heatwaves, Floods, Informal Settlements
– Loss & Damage Fund from COP27 Seen as Key Tool for Disaster-Proof Infrastructure
– Inclusive Planning & Local Capacity Critical for Resilient Urban Futures
African cities, though contributing only ~4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, are disproportionately vulnerable to climate impacts—such as heatwaves, floods, tropical cyclones, and prolonged droughts. Rapid urbanisation in Sub-Saharan Africa is accelerating: cities are growing at ~4.1% annually, twice the global average. About 56% of the urban population lives in informal settlements lacking access to basic infrastructure like clean water, sanitation, drainage, and reliable energy. These conditions make urban centres hotbeds of climate risk that threaten both people and economies.
Dr. Muhammad Gambo of Shelter Afrique Development Bank argues that the Loss & Damage Fund, established during COP27, could and should be leveraged to help African cities not just recover from climate disasters but to build back better. Priority uses include reconstructing resilient infrastructure (affordable housing, drainage, water/sanitation), empowering marginalized urban communities, strengthening disaster management and local governance, and investing in capacity building. Crucially, to be effective, the fund’s criteria must reflect African realities—data limitations, informal livelihoods, land tenure issues—and ensure inclusive project evaluation and benefits.
