Urban Landscapes Under the Impact of Climate Change in Africa -Policy,Experiences and Innovations

Climate change is a global phenomenon that significantly disturbs urban life through occurrences such as urban flooding, resulting from extensive rainfall in the cities that are built up and consist mainly of concrete surfaces.  The effects of climate change have been exacerbated by the urbanisation process in Africa‘s major cities and towns. It has dominated contemporary debates in urban planning and development practice. As towns and cities continue to grow and climatic conditions endure change, the urban landscape continues experiencing negative effects of climate stress. The effects of climate change are felt by the natural and built environment, but they are mostly felt by people who inhabit these environments and reap benefits from it. Effects of climate change impact and are costly on service delivery, provision of infrastructure, housing, health and livelihood of the urban citizens. On the other hand, major African cities contribute significantly to climate change due to urban emissions. Built-up areas that include buildings, surfaced roads and concrete driveways prevent precipitation and storm-water to percolate into the ground. Climate change has direct and indirect effects on urban temperatures, rainfall intensity, built infrastructure, energy or power, hydrology and flooding, habitats and biodiversity. Open spaces, parks and places, gardens and streets provide critical services to the urban ecosystem, biodiversity and quality of life for urban citizens.