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The Geography of Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Africa

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(2019)

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  • @saraclare
    3 years ago (last updated 3 years ago)
    A critical review of ‘The Geography of Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Africa’ edited by Patrick Brandful Cobbinah and Michael Addaney. This book begins with the assertion that ‘Urban areas are unique centres for exploring climate change adaptation’ as they are not only home to the majority of the world's population but they are also very vulnerable to the impacts of a changing climate. Cities face various risks unique to urban areas such as the heat island effect, impervious surfaces increasing flood risk, and low lying slum areas. Cobbinah and Addenay affirm that, as a continent which is rapidly urbanising (at the rate of up to 4% in some regions), it will need to prioritise urban management and adaptation policies in its response to climate change. Furthermore, although the continent is the lowest contributor to climate change, it is the continent that will (and does already) feel the effects of climate change the most acutely. Experts predict that the continent will experience an increase in temperature ranging from 2 degrees to up to 7 degrees, will suffer from more variable weather patterns and an increase in aridity. The effects of climate change will overwhelmingly affect the poor and in particular, those living in informal settlements, which in cities such as Kinshasa constitute roughly half the population. They do remark that Africas comparatively late urbanisation gives Africa the potential to integrate urban planning into their response to various climate change-related challenges. Unfortunately, the majority of urbanisation in Africa up to now has been unplanned. The various chapters of the book collect together different papers from a range of experts across the region. The chapters deal with both the positive effects of good planning, for example, chapter 13 which demonstrates how good planning can increase water security in Durban SA, and the negative effects of bad or non-existent planning. It, in particular, looks at how urban planning can be used as a tool to work towards the sustainable development goals 11 (Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable) and 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts). ‘A strong theme running through this book is the importance of policy, collaboration, coordination, cooperation and creating and advancing partnerships that support effective planning and management of climate change adaptation initiatives in urban Africa’. Chapter three looks at in detail how community-based mapping can be used as a tool for climate change adaptation, using the case study of a project in Quarry West Informal Settlement in Durban SA. The article begins by outlining the benefits of Participatory Community Based Mapping (PCBM) before moving onto the details of the case study in question. It describes the different steps which were taken throughout the process of PCBM, including some of the problems that arose and how they overcame them. It concludes that ‘The PCBM process provided a valuable platform which supported a culture of learning and an experimental governance process, building capacity and enabling community members to understand the complex relationships in their settlement’. Chapter four analyses different community responses to climate change impacts in the city of Tamale in Northern Ghana. Different policies and initiatives taken by the Ghanaian government in response to the climate emergency including the National Climate Change Policy (NCPP) are acknowledged. However, the author remarks that these initiatives have mostly failed due to a lack of political commitment, inadequate funding and limited public engagement’. Subsequently, they identify various adaptations in response to a changing climate undertaken by the local community in Tamale, including adopting new agricultural techniques (or returning to traditional ones) and diversifying income sources (which included the migration of some members of the family to new areas). They conclude that inhabitants are responding to climate change in diverse ways, but it is necessary for a stronger commitment from the government in support of the climate change agenda, including more support for poor households. Chapter 11 explores issues of food (in)security across Africa, and how Urban Agriculture can be used as a tool to ensure greater food security for urban populations in response to climate change. The author begins by defining food security as ‘A country is food secured when all persons, at all times have economic and physical access to nutritious, safe and sufficient food to meet their dietary needs’. They then continue to outline the various threats to food security that African cities face. They propose Urban Agriculture as a measure to mitigate these threats and outlines its various benefits both for the environment and also the wellbeing of city dwellers. Nevertheless, restrictions imposed by municipalities and urban planning departments impose on the development of UA. The author concludes that ‘UA has great potential to boost Africa’s adaptation and resilience to climate change’ but in order for its potential to be realised regulations inhibiting it needs to be lifted, and more support needs to be given to key actors in its development (such as schools and churches). In conclusion, ‘The Geography of Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Africa’ is a well put together piece of work. It covers an interesting variety of different climate-related issues facing urban areas across the whole of Africa. In addition, it proposes a variety of different responses to these challenges using real-life case studies and experiences of city dwellers from a number of different African cities. Cobbinah, P. and Addaney, M., 2019. The Geography Of Climate Change Adaptation In Urban Africa. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
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