Urban – Images Africa
The cities and towns of Africa are very vulnerable to climatic changes and climate variability. Rapid urbanisation calls for significant investment to create jobs, and provide infrastructure and services yet basic infrastructure services often lag behind urban growth.
According to What’s in it for Africa, much of the urban space in Africa is yet to be developed, so urban adaptation provides opportunities for incremental and transformational adjustments towards resilient and sustainable systems. Reducing energy and water consumption through greening cities and recycling water, and developing resilient infrastructure systems can reduce the vulnerability of urban settlements in many parts of Africa.
At present, six of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa. Projections indicate that the region’s urban population will double to 760 million by 2030. Many city planners advocate for more compact city structures that would accommodate Africa’s growing urban population while curbing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need for transport. However, compact urban development may conflict with adaptation strategies, such as providing urban green spaces to counter urban heat island effects and moderate storm water run-off by increasing water filtration into the soil.
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