Africa’s Urban Future: Resilient, Risk-Informed, Ready
With climate change projected to expose 118 million Africans to severe weather by 2030, the Africa Urban Resilience Programme convened leaders in Cape Town to explore practical pathways for resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities.
Africa’s cities are at the frontline of multiple challenges; from climate change and rapid urbanisation to increasingly frequent and severe weather events. By 2030, an estimated 118 million Africans will face the impacts of extreme weather, with loss and damage costs expected to reach between 290–440 billion USD (UNECA, African Climate Policy Centre).
In response, the Africa Urban Resilience Programme (AURP) convened its Inaugural Steering Committee and Technical Working Group Meeting from 14–16 August 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. Organised by the African Union Commission and hosted by the Government of South Africa, the meeting brought together AU member states, regional economic communities, development partners, academia, civil society, and media representatives.
The session was chaired by Mr. Harsen Nyambe Nyambe, Director for Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy at the AU Commission. H.E. Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment highlighted the urgency of collective action, stating “Collective efforts for risk-informed urban development in Africa are not optional — they are imperative.”
Germany reaffirmed its strong support, with Ronald Meyer, head of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)’s AU cooperation unit, noting:
“Germany’s commitment to the AURP ensures that resilience efforts are embedded in shared frameworks, enabling countries to address risks that cross borders and require collective solutions.”
Key takeaways from the meeting include:
- There is an urgent and unmet need for urban resilience financing and for strengthening capacities of organisations to develop bankable proposals to access finance.
- Discussions from the forum should reach political leadership, policymakers, and development partners working in the urban space.
- Education and research should include disaster risk reduction topics at all levels of education to strengthen skills, for example through the World Bank Resilience Academy in Tanzania.
- There is a need to scale up promising practices; for instance, the City GAP Fund, C40, and Cities Alliance have pilot projects that can be expanded with adequate financing.
- Knowledge exchange must be at the core of cross-organisational learning.
- It is imperative to amplify the voices of the urban poor by empowering communities—especially women, youth, and people with disabilities—in informal settlements through community-led data collection, strong collaboration with local authorities, and inclusive, people-centred urban resilience initiatives.
- Strengthening synergies and breaking institutional and policy silos to integrate plans across domains is beneficial for African countries to advance the agenda for urban resilience, disaster risk reduction, resilient cities, and sustainable development across Africa.
This milestone reflects a growing recognition of the urgency to build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable African cities, in line with the Sendai Framework and global and continental climate and urban resilience frameworks. There is broad recognition of the importance not only of responding to current risks but also of preparing for future uncertainties, including rapid urbanisation, migration patterns, and shifting socio-economic dynamics. This aligns with Africa Agenda 2063 and the Geneva Call for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025.
