WIOMSA | ICLEI Africa

WIOMSA

Cities Under Pressure

We are supporting and facilitating capacity building within coastal cities and the transfer of knowledge and expertise to harness the potential of these cities. We are assessing needs of coastal cities’ in the Western Indian Ocean region through a key stakeholder engagement workshops and delivering trainings on adapting to climate change and enhancing resilience.

Urban coastal areas in Africa are on the frontline when it comes to being affected by the impacts of climate change. These include increases in average atmospheric temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme events such as heatwaves, droughts, flooding and tropical storms and rising sea levels. The impacts of climate change not only affect the natural environment, but threaten the livelihoods of those living in urban areas, and thus local governments, the economy and human well-being. Particularly vulnerable population groups include the poor, the elderly, women, children, the disabled and communities living in informal areas in and around urban areas. Achieving sustainability and climate resiliency requires local governments to adapt to climate change. Both they and their citizens stand to gain far more by starting to adapt today, rather than waiting or not taking action at all.

Project Location

Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, South Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius

Project Duration

Since 2020 and completed in 2022

Project Highlights

As part of the training course a training guideline document was developed. This guide to building adaptive capacity and resilience to the impacts of climate change in coastal urban areas is intended to offer city officials, in East African coastal cities, practical guidance on how to respond to the challenges of climate change adaptation in their cities. It provides a comprehensive overview of key climate adaptation issues that are relevant to cities, offers examples of good practices and successful experiences, and is a useful guide to developing a CCAP.
Workshop outcomes included:
- Improved knowledge of city stakeholders around what is currently happening with regards to coastal management methods and research which can enhance coastal city planning on the African continent;
- Understanding of what tools and resources city stakeholders require, both existing and potentially newly developed, to effectively support coastal city planning in the future;
- A pipeline of potential research and training thematic areas for WIOMSA and partners to take forward.

Project aims

We are supporting and facilitating capacity building within coastal cities and the transfer of knowledge and expertise to harness the potential of these cities. We are assessing needs of coastal cities’ in the Western Indian Ocean region through a key stakeholder engagement workshops and delivering trainings on adapting to climate change and enhancing resilience.