In the Floods of Lagos, in the Heat of Khartoum

Much of the existing research agenda on urban climate resilience and adaptation has historically been set by the Global North, producing a gap in knowledge of the African perspective. African cities are increasingly developing much needed climate adaptation policies and plans, but often, the capacity for implementation is still limited.

City governments and local authorities require support to develop and implement integrated and inclusive planning for urban climate adaptation. An urgent and concerted effort is needed from governments to drive equitable climate adaptation and this needs to be tabled at global platforms such as the United Nations Climate Change conferences. They must highlight the impact of climate change on urbanisation in Africa. A focus on city governance and climate finance can carve a path for a just urban transition.

An urgent and concerted effort is needed from governments to drive equitable climate adaptation and this needs to be tabled at global platforms.

Just transitions initially focused on climate change mitigation because of the need to transition economies away from fossil fuels and ensure the impact on the economy and livelihoods would be fair (for example, see the work of the World Resources Institute (WRI), a global research non-profit organization established in 1982).

It is increasingly evident that just transitions need to also think about fairness when adapting to climate change and reducing climate risk. For adaptation to be just, it must meet the needs of vulnerable groups most exposed to climate risks. These include low-income households without the insurance or resources to replace damaged goods and infrastructure; or people living with disabilities who will be disproportionately affected by climate change impacts.

Yet African cities have been slow to push climate adaptation and mitigation policies and practices. COP27, an “African COP”, was putting more emphasis on agriculture and biodiversity in the “thematic days”.

Although these themes have been important for Africa historically, the rapid growth of African cities requires national and regional policy makers to focus more attention on urban issues in general and climate issues specifically, in order to reduce vulnerability and address mitigation urgently.

Cape Towns new Water Strategy

The drought also highlighted the stark inequalities in the city, particularly how low-income communities struggled to secure water. Although some progress was made, more work is needed in a city where many do not have running water in their homes and cannot afford basic water services.

Following the drought, stronger relations were in place between the water sector and other departments. One notable outcome was the new ‘Water Strategy’ that emerged as a more integrated response that considered climate change science, environment and society more directly.

A key policy lesson is that city governments need to support climate adaptation policy and implementation ahead of disasters and ensure that there are experts from multiple sectors involved in planning processes. There need to be opportunities to engage with diverse actors, including residents from slums, civil society groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and businesses to understand what the impact of proposed responses might be and how diverse needs might be met.

International donors often fund projects with short timelines that make it difficult to identify, build relationships with and co-create adaptation projects with local communities.

Such engagements should not be tokenistic; sufficient budget and personnel need to be ensured for the co-creation of climate adaptation solutions that meet the multiple goals of those living in cities.

International donors often fund projects with short timelines that make it difficult to identify, build relationships with and co-create adaptation projects with local communities. Larger or established organisations often have more capacity to access funding than smaller organisations, which consequently can have implications for less resourced and marginalised groups. This requires careful attention alongside capacity development support to ensure that those most in need can access climate finance. City governments need to provide an opportunity for diverse groups to engage in equitable urban adaptation.

In addition, locally led adaptation projects need to carefully consider how climate change affects individuals based at the intersections of various socio-economic parameters, such as income, education, gender, and health. Consequently, far more attention needs to be paid to procedural justice that addresses these inequalities and seeks to find processes that deliberately acknowledge power differentials and amplify voices that are not usually heard.

Although there are many ways to support a just urban transition, two priority areas are useful starting points for driving an African position at COP27 on more equitable adaptation.

First, it is important that African countries focus on urban governance and leadership. Decision-making must involve multiple parties, including environmental experts, local governments, city residents, and interested parties. This helps to create more inclusive climate risk planning for the present and future. To achieve this, structural barriers to effective participation need to be addressed and transparency prioritised. This includes ensuring that civil society organisations have the resources to actively engage in decision-making processes, which is supported by the COP27 thematic day on civil society. The presence of a facilitator who can address underlying power dynamics and ensure that local community voices are heard has been found to be effective.