Climate Change and Cities in Africa: Current Dilemmas and Future Challenges
Abstract
How will climate change affect people living in African cities? The answer to this complex question has two interrelated dimensions. It hinges on, first, the scope of future climate change and resulting changes in population exposures to weather-related hazards and, second, the degree of vulnerability of urban populations to these hazards. The concept of vulnerability used here recognizes that how an urban population experiences weather hazards depends upon the living conditions and development patterns, past and present, in cities. By assessing the intersections of climate change, hazards, and vulnerability, one can better understand the projected effects of climate change on urban populations in Africa. Following this understanding of the challenge, analysts can explore the major policy implications for African governments of building adaptation strategies to address these potential hazards. To explore this question in detail, this course module has three sections: (1) Climate Change: What Is It and Why Is It a Threat? (2) Climate Change in Africa: Exposure and Hazards, (3) Impacts in Urban Africa: Urbanization and Vulnerabilities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA624356
Entities
People
- Robert H. Wilson
Organizations
- University of Texas at Austin