INTERACTIVE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO MAINSTREAMING CLIMATE ADAPTATION & DRR IN AFRICAN CITIES

USING THE DRR4AFRICA APPROACH

Overview of climate risks in African cities

Although African cities have contributed relatively little to climate change, they disproportionately face its burdens through shifting weather patterns and hazards such as flooding, cyclones, extreme heat, and drought. These impacts rarely occur in isolation; they compound and intensify existing risks, threatening socio-economic development and public health while deepening inequalities, straining infrastructure, and worsening food insecurity. The challenges are further magnified by rapid urbanisation, limited adaptive capacity, and high levels of vulnerability among urban populations. Local governments must navigate the difficult task of anticipating, preparing for, and responding to climate risks while also addressing pressing development priorities. Despite resource constraints – financial, administrative, data-related, and institutional – many local governments are leading innovation on how to tackle these compounding risks.

Understanding the need for an integrated approach to DRR and CCA

At ICLEI Africa, we are scaling up local governments’ efforts to mainstream and coordinate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) finance, while strengthening disaster risk governance. By adopting an integrated approach to DRR and CCA, we work with African cities of all sizes and geographies to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for DRR.

About the DRR4Africa Project

The DRR4Africa Project, funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation and implemented by ICLEI Africa in partnership with UNDRR, aims to strengthen climate resilience and disaster preparedness in African cities.

The project focuses on:

Strengthening resilience in Lusaka, Cape Coast, and Port Louis through evidence-based risk assessment tools that inform urban planning and policy.

Turning data into action by translating complex climate and development risks into accessible, practical information for local authorities and vulnerable communities.

Building capacity with targeted training on climate and disaster finance, tailored to the needs of each city.

Fostering collaboration by establishing communities of practice that connect governments, civil society, the private sector, and academia.

Scaling impact by leveraging evidence and lessons learned to support other African cities in reducing risk and building climate-resilient futures.

This interactive, step-by-step guide showcases how CCA and DRR can be combined in practice. Drawing on DRR4Africa case studies, it offers practical templates, resources, and lessons that other African cities can adapt to their own contexts.

What you will learn

How to undertake participatory, evidence-based resilience planning for your city

The effects of climate change do not occur in isolation; they interact with and intensify other risks. For example, climate change can exacerbate existing societal vulnerabilities, such as inequality or food insecurity, or trigger cascading impacts across interconnected systems, leading to compounding and far-reaching consequences. In response to the complex, intersecting risks faced by African cities, many of which are magnified by climate change, cities must strengthen climate resilience and disaster preparedness through comprehensive, evidence-based risk assessment tools to guide urban planning and policy. ICLEI Africa is committed to supporting this process as a systems integrator that helps cities navigate complexity, build coalitions, and unlock finance.