EDITORIAL Climate change
Africa’ s cities at a turning point
As climate pressure and fast urban growth collide, experts say Africa must build smarter, retrofit wisely, and design cities that protect people first.
Observed annually on 31 October, World Cities Day highlights the transformative potential of people-centred smart cities in creating fair, prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive urban environments. This year’ s theme emphasises the need to design cities that improve the quality of life and build resilience for all communities.
In Africa, climate change heightens the urgency of inclusive urban development. Without sufficient action, an estimated 118 million people living in extreme poverty could face increased exposure to drought, flooding, and severe heat by 2030.
These climate-induced events threaten to damage infrastructure, disrupt economies, and harm public health- causing physical injuries and mental stress – as well as reducing access to essential goods through broken supply chains and resource production.
Climate adaptation in Africa, therefore, involves creating cities that withstand and regenerate without reinforcing the social and economic inequalities embedded in many of Africa’ s urban environments through the continent’ s colonial past. Most of these inequalities persist unintentionally.
104 www. sabuildingreview. co. za