Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-x4r87 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T18:31:58.328Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

6 - Urban Planning and Climate Change Action in Africa

from Part I - Understanding Sustainable Urban Planning in Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2023

By
Eric Gaisie ,
Chati Jerry Tasantab  and
Oluwadunsin Ajulo
Edited by
Patrick Brandful Cobbinah  and
Eric Gaisie
Patrick Brandful Cobbinah
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne
Eric Gaisie
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne
Get access

Summary

The purpose of this chapter is to examine how climate change actions are integrated into urban planning in Africa. Based on a review of long-term and medium-term planning frameworks from six selected cities, the chapter analyses the awareness, synthesis and strategies for addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation in Africa through urban planning. The findings indicate that despite a high level of awareness of climate change and impacts, conscious framing of planning frameworks as tools for instituting mitigation and adaptation measures for climate change action is lacking. While the issues and policies indicated in the plans have impacts on climate change mitigation and adaptation, the planning frameworks mainly regard them as immediate developmental needs rather than offering an explicit avenue for addressing climate change. Considering that climate change remains a major existential threat to the sustainable development of African cities, the chapter argues for reimagining planning to view spatial and socio-economic development issues and strategies through a climate change lens to ensure efficient allocation of resources towards climate-proof growth, sustainable development and resilience.

Keywords

climate changeurban planningmitigationadaptationAfrican cities
Type
Chapter
Information
Reimagining Urban Planning in Africa , pp. 84 - 106
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Antwi-Agyei, P., Dougill, A. J., Stringer, L. C., & Codjoe, S. N. A. (2018). Adaptation opportunities and maladaptive outcomes in climate vulnerability hotspots of northern Ghana. Climate Risk Management, 19, 83–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bäing, A. S., & Webb, B. (2020). Planning through zoning. London: Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).Google Scholar
Baynham, M., & Stevens, M. (2014). Are we planning effectively for climate change? An evaluation of official community plans in British Columbia. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 57(4), 557–587.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boswell, M. R., Greve, A. I., & Seale, T. L. (2010). An assessment of the link between greenhouse gas emissions inventories and climate action plans. Journal of the American Planning Association, 76(4), 451–462.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bott, L. M., & Braun, B. (2019). How do households respond to coastal hazards? A framework for accommodating strategies using the example of Semarang Bay, Indonesia. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 37, 101177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broto, V. (2014). Planning for climate change in the African city. International Development Planning Review, 36(3), 257–265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, J. G., Cavan, G., Connelly, A., Guy, S., Handley, J., & Kazmierczak, A. (2015). Climate change and the city: Building capacity for urban adaptation. Progress in Planning, 95, 1–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cobbinah, P. B., & Kosoe, E. A. (2019). Urban residents and communities Responses to climate change impacts in Tamale, Ghana. In Cobbinah, P. B. & Addaney, M. (eds.), The geography of climate change adaptation in urban Africa (pp. 89–121). Cham: Springer International Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cobbinah, P. B., Asibey, M. O., & Gyedu-Pensang, Y. A. (2020). Urban land use planning in Ghana: Navigating complex coalescence of land ownership and administration. Land Use Policy, 99, 105054.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cobbinah, P. B., Asibey, M. O., Opoku-Gyamfi, M., & Peprah, C. (2019). Urban planning and climate change in Ghana. Journal of Urban Management, 8(2), 261–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collier, P., Conway, G., & Venables, T. (2008). Climate change and Africa. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 24(2), 337–353.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conway, G. (2008). The science of climate change in Africa: Impacts and adaptation. Grantham Institute for Climate Change Discussion Paper, 1, 1–42.Google Scholar
Dasgupta, S., Lall, S., & Wheeler, D. (2022). Cutting global carbon emissions: where do cities stand? https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/cutting-global-carbon-emissions-where-do-cities-stand#:~:text=Cities%20account%20for%20over%2070,constructed%20with%20carbon%2Dintensive%20materialsGoogle Scholar
Diko, S. K. (2019). Missed opportunities? Financing climate action in urban Ghana and Uganda. In Cobbinah, P. B. & Addaney, M. (eds.), The geography of climate change adaptation in Urban Africa (pp. 499–530). Cham: Springer International Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dougill, A. J., Whitfield, S., Stringer, L. C., Vincent, K., Wood, B. T., Chinseu, E. L., Steward, P., & Mkwambisi, D. D. (2017). Mainstreaming conservation agriculture in Malawi: Knowledge gaps and institutional barriers. Optimizing the Impact of Science: Translational Research and Stakeholder Engagement to Identify Sustainable Land Management Based Adaptation for Challenges Posed by Environmental Change, 195, 25–34.Google ScholarPubMed
Downing, T. E., Ringius, L., Hulme, M., & Waughray, D. (1997). Adapting to climate change in Africa. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 2(1), 19–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Espoir, D. K., & Sunge, R. (2021). Co2 emissions and economic development in Africa: Evidence from a dynamic spatial panel model. Journal of Environmental Management, 300, 113617.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Espoir, D. K., Mudiangombe Mudiangombe, B., Bannor, F., Sunge, R., & Tshitaka, J.-L. M. (2022). CO2 emissions and economic growth: Assessing the heterogeneous effects across climate regimes in Africa. Science of the Total Environment, 804, 150089.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
eThekwini Municipality (2009). Imagine Durban long term plan: Building a better city, a better country and a better world for tomorrow. Durban: eThekwini Municipality.Google Scholar
eThekwini Municipality (2022). Integrated development plan – 5 year plan: 2022/23 to 2026/27. Durban: eThekwini Municipality.Google Scholar
Fainstein, S. S., & DeFilippis, J. (eds.) (2015). Readings in planning theory. 4th ed. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Fawzy, S., Osman, A. I., Doran, J., & Rooney, D. W. (2020). Strategies for mitigation of climate change: A review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 18(6), 2069–2094.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fishman, R. (2016). Urban utopias in the twentieth century: Ebenezer Howard, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier. In Fainstein, S. S. & DeFilippis, J. (eds.), Readings in planning theory (4th ed., pp. 23–50). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Friedrich, E., & Trois, C. (2011). Quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from waste management processes for municipalities – A comparative review focusing on Africa. Waste Management, 31(7), 1585–1596.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frumkin, H., Frank, L., Frank, L. D., & Jackson, R. J. (2004). Urban sprawl and public health: Designing, planning, and building for healthy communities. Washington, DC: Island Press.Google Scholar
Gaisie, E., & Cobbinah, P. B. (2023). Planning for context-based climate adaptation: Flood management inquiry in Accra. Environmental Science & Policy, 141, 97–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaisie, E., Kim, H. M., & Han, S. S. (2019). Accra towards a city-region: Devolution, spatial development and urban challenges. Cities, 95, 102398.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaisie, E., Oppong-Yeboah, N. Y., & Cobbinah, P. B. (2022). Geographies of infections: Built environment and COVID-19 pandemic in metropolitan Melbourne. Sustainable Cities and Society, 81, 103838.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Government of Ghana (2017). Greater Accra region spatial development framework: Baseline assessment report (Vols. 1&2). Accra: Government of Ghana.Google Scholar
Hamin, E. M. (2011). Integrating adaptation and mitigation in local climate change planning. In Ingram, G. K. & Hong, Y.-H. (eds.), Climate change and land policies (pp. 122–143). Cambridge, MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.Google Scholar
Hamin, E. M., & Gurran, N. (2009). Urban form and climate change: Balancing adaptation and mitigation in the U.S. and Australia. Habitat International, 33(3), 238–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Han, A. T., Daniels, T. L., & Kim, C. (2022). Managing urban growth in the wake of climate change: Revisiting greenbelt policy in the US. Land Use Policy, 112, 105867.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heikkinen, M., Ylä-Anttila, T., & Juhola, S. (2019). Incremental, reformistic or transformational: What kind of change do C40 cities advocate to deal with climate change? Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 21(1), 90–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hunter, N. B., North, M. A., Roberts, D. C., & Slotow, R. (2020). A systematic map of responses to climate impacts in urban Africa. Environmental Research Letters, 15(10), 103005.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurlimann, A. C., & March, A. P. (2012). The role of spatial planning in adapting to climate change. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.183CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurlimann, A. C., Nielsen, J., Moosavi, S., Bush, J., Warren-Myers, G., & March, A. (2022). Climate change preparedness across sectors of the built environment – A review of literature. Environmental Science & Policy, 128, 277–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurlimann, A., Moosavi, S., & Browne, G. R. (2021). Urban planning policy must do more to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation actions. Land Use Policy, 101, 105188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huxley, M. (2009). Planning, urban. In Kitchin, R. & Thrift, N. (eds.), International encyclopedia of human geography (pp. 193–198). Amsterdam: Elsevier.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IPCC (2021). Regional fact sheet – Africa. In Masson-Delmotte, V., Zhai, P., Pirani, A., Connors, S. L., Péan, C., Berger, S., Caud, N., Chen, Y., Goldfarb, L., Gomis, M. I., Huang, M., Leitzell, K., Lonnoy, E., Matthews, J. B. R., Maycock, T. K., Waterfield, T., Yelekçi, O., Yu, R. & Zhou, B. (eds.), Climate change 2021: The physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Ireland, P., & Clausen, D. (2019). Local action that changes the world: Fresh perspectives on climate change mitigation and adaptation from Australia. In Letcher, T. M. (ed.), Managing global warming: An Interface of Technology and Human Issues (pp. 769–782). Cambridge, MA: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kammila, S., & Kohli, R. (2022). Transforming Africa: Africa Climate Week focuses on partnerships for resilience and energy transition. UNDP. www.undp.org/blog/transforming-africaGoogle Scholar
Kleinheksel, A. J., Rockich-Winston, N., Tawfik, H., & Wyatt, T. R. (2020). Demystifying content analysis. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(1), 127–137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kumar, P., & Geneletti, D. (2015). How are climate change concerns addressed by spatial plans? An evaluation framework, and an application to Indian cities. Land Use Policy, 42, 210–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lagos State Government (2013). Lagos State development plan 2012–2025. Lagos: Lagos State Government.Google Scholar
McMillan, J. M., Birkmann, J., & Tangwanichagapong, S. (2021). Chapter 13 – Climate risk information as a basis for adaptive spatial planning: A case study from Thailand. In Pal, I., Shaw, R., Djalante, R., & Shrestha, S. (eds.), Disaster resilience and sustainability: Adaptation for sustainable development (pp. 301–320). Amsterdam: Elsevier.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mensah, H., Amponsah, O., Opoku, P., Ahadzie, D. K., & Takyi, S. A. (2021). Resilience to climate change in Ghanaian cities and its implications for urban policy and planning. SN Social Sciences, 1(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-021-00123-8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nairobi City Council (2014). The project on integrated urban development master plan for the city of Nairobi in the Republic of Kenya. Nairobi: Nairobi City Council.Google Scholar
Nairobi City Council (2018). County integrated development plan (2018–2022). Nairobi: Nairobi City Council.Google Scholar
Okem, A. E., & Bracking, S. (2019). The poverty reduction co-benefits of climate change-related projects in eThekwini Municipality, South Africa. In Cobbinah, P. B. & Addaney, M. (eds.), The geography of climate change adaptation in urban Africa (pp. 275–304). Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pittock, B. A. (ed.) (2009). Climate change: The science, impacts and solutions. Clayton: CSIRO Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Republic of Tanzania (2016). Dar es Salaam City Master Plan 2016–2036. Dar Es Salaam: United Republic of Tanzania.Google Scholar
Roberts, D. (2008). Thinking globally, acting locally: Institutionalizing climate change at the local government level in Durban, South Africa. Environment and Urbanization, 20(2), 521–537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scheffran, J. (2015). Climate change as a risk multiplier in a world of complex crises. Planetary Security Conference, The Hague, 2–3 November.Google Scholar
Seto, K. C., Dhakal, S., Bigio, A., Blanco, H., Delgado, G. C., Dewar, D., Huang, L., Inaba, A., Kansal, A., Lwasa, S., McMahon, J. E., Müller, D. B., Murakami, J., Nagendra, H., & Ramaswami, A. (2014). Human settlements, infrastructure, and spatial planning. In Edenhofer, O., Pichs-Madruga, R., Sokona, Y., Farahani, E., Kadner, S., Seyboth, K., Adler, A., Baum, I., Brunner, S., Eickemeier, P., Kriemann, B., Savolainen, J., Schlömer, S., von Stechow, C., Zwickel, T. & Minx, J. C. (eds.), Climate change 2014: Mitigation of climate change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Tang, Z., Brody, S. D., Quinn, C., Chang, L., & Wei, T. (2010). Moving from agenda to action: Evaluating local climate change action plans. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 53(1), 41–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tasantab, J. C. (2019). Beyond the plan: How land use control practices influence flood risk in Sekondi-Takoradi. Jàmbá – Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v11i1.638CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tasantab, J. C., Gajendran, T., & Maund, K. (2022). Expanding protection motivation theory: The role of coping experience in flood risk adaptation intentions in informal settlements. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 76, 103020.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tasantab, J. C., Gajendran, T., von Meding, J., & Maund, K. (2020). Perceptions and deeply held beliefs about responsibility for flood risk adaptation in Accra Ghana. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 11(5), 631–644.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trisos, C. H., Adelekan, I. O., Totin, E., Ayanlade, A., Efitre, J., Gemeda, A., Kalaba, K., Lennard, C., Masao, C., Mgaya, Y., Ngaruiya, G., Olago, D., Simpson, N. P., & Zakieldeen, S. (2022). Africa. In Pörtner, H.-O., Roberts, D. C., Tignor, M., Poloczanska, E. S., Mintenbeck, K., Alegría, A., Craig, M., Langsdorf, S., Löschke, S., Möller, V., Okem, A. & Rama, B. (eds.), Climate change 2022: Impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Uittenbroek, C. J., Janssen-Jansen, L. B., & Runhaar, H. A. C. (2013). Mainstreaming climate adaptation into urban planning: Overcoming barriers, seizing opportunities and evaluating the results in two Dutch case studies. Regional Environmental Change, 13(2), 399–411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Westoby, R., Clissold, R., McNamara, K. E., Latai-Niusulu, A., & Chandra, A. (2021). Cascading loss and loss risk multipliers amid a changing climate in the Pacific Islands. Ambio, 51, 1239–1246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheeler, S. M. (2008). State and municipal climate change plans: The first generation. Journal of the American Planning Association, 74(4), 481–496.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
WMO (2020). State of the climate in Africa 2019. Geneva: World Meteorological Organization.Google Scholar
Yoshida, T., Yamagata, Y., Chang, S., de Gooyert, V., Seya, H., Murakami, D., Jittrapirom, P., & Voulgaris, G. (2020). Chapter 7 – Spatial modeling and design of smart communities. In Yamagata, Y. & Yang, P. P. J. (eds.), Urban systems design: Creating sustainable smart cities in the internet of things era (pp. 199–255). Amsterdam: Elsevier.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
UN-Habitat (2017). New urban agenda. United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), Quito, Ecuador. United Nations.Google Scholar
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (UN-DESA/PD) (2019a). World urbanization prospects 2018: Highlights (ST/ESA/SER.A/421).Google Scholar
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (UN-DESA/PD) (2019b). World population prospects 2019: Highlights (ST/ESA/SER.A/423).Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×