Unjust waters: climate change, flooding and the urban poor in Africa
Abstract
Many of the urban poor in Africa face growing problems of severe flooding. Increased storm frequency and intensity related to climate change are exacerbated by such local factors as the growing occupation of floodplains, increased runoff from hard surfaces, inadequate waste management and silted-up drainage. One can distinguish four types of flooding in urban areas: localized flooding due to inadequate drainage; flooding from small streams within the built-up area; flooding from major rivers; and coastal flooding. ActionAid undertook participatory vulnerability analysis in five African cities, to explore local people's perceptions of why floods occur, how they adjust to them, who is responsible for reducing the flood risk and what action the community itself can take. While local people adapt to floods, recognition of local, national and international governments' and organizations' responsibility to act to alleviate flooding and its causes, especially the consequences of climate change, is urgently needed.
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Urban informal settlements are more likely to be located in low-lying, flood-prone areas than higher income neighborhoods of the same cities.
“These settlements are more likely to be located in low-lying, flood-prone areas than higher income neighborhoods of the same cities 64-66 .”
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For rural populations, climate-sensitive mode of livelihood and insecure land tenure are crucial socioeconomic drivers of vulnerability.
“For rural populations, climate-sensitive mode of livelihood and insecure land tenure represent other crucial socioeconomic drivers of vulnerability”
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Flood exposure is expected to cause significant global financial and material losses in cities.
“For instance, flood exposure is expected to cause significant global financial and material losses in cities (Douglas et al., 2008;Hallegatte et al., 2013), while warming temperatures are likely to disrupt power supplies, increase vulnerability to heat stress, and intensify health inequalities (Harlan et al., 2006;McMichael et al., 2008).”
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- Authors
- Douglas, I., Alam, K., Maghenda, M., Mcdonnell, Y., Mclean, L., & Campbell, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Manchester (GB)
- wughangamwalu@yahoo. com
- ActionAid (US)
- House, MacDonald Road, Archway, London N19 5PG, UK,
- Corresponding author
- Douglas, Ian
- Mcdonnell, Yasmin
- Mclean, Louise
- Campbell, Jack
- ORCID
- Douglas, Ian
- Venue
- Environment and Urbanization
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2008-04
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 187-205
- ISSN
- 0956-2478 (ISSN-L)
- 1746-0301
- OpenAlex
- W2003710375
- Cited by
- 767
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 59 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 50 · 2023: 52 · 2022: 67 · 2021: 67 · 2020: 61 · 2019: 63 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 44 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 14.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environment and Urbanization (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Disaster Management and Resilience
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate Change and Sustainable Development
- Keywords
- urban flooding, climate change, urban poor, flood risk, vulnerability assessment, community adaptation, drainage, floodplain occupation, waste management, coastal flooding, river flooding, government responsibility, Africa
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