Climate change, urban vulnerabilities and adaptation in Africa: a scoping review

Abstract

Urban areas and the fastest-growing cities in Africa are experiencing devastating impact of climate change. The changing climate requires a human response to reduce urban vulnerability in Africa. The purpose of this scoping review was to map evidence of climate vulnerability, existing adaptation, and associated barriers to inform policies and future research in Africa. Search done in four main databases (PubMed, Central, JSTOR, and Science Direct) produced 13,191 records, and an additional 25 records were retrieved from Google, Google Scholar and Dimensions. Finally, 34 studies were included in this scoping review based on the inclusion criteria. Findings indicate that climate change is harming urban populations and communities, especially poor urban populations in informal settlements through food insecurity, water stress, destruction of livelihoods and key infrastructure, physical and mental health issues, poor sanitation, stigmatisation, crime, disruption in school and healthcare delivery, migration and unemployment. Also, existing urban adaptation responses to climate risk are not at the level needed to build resilience to urban vulnerability. In addition, there is evidence of maladaptation which might worsen the climate burden on the poor urban population. In conclusion, climate change poses severe challenges for Africa's urban poor, heightening vulnerability through food insecurity, water stress, and infrastructure destruction. Current adaptation efforts are insufficient and may worsen adaptation efforts. Urgent actions are needed, including enhanced climate knowledge, early warning systems, robust policies, and targeted interventions addressing poverty and infrastructure deficits. Integrating climate research into urban planning is vital to build resilience and protect marginalized urban populations in Africa.