Everything is bigger in the city – the problems and the potential

Everyone who lives in one – from Algeria to Zimbabwe – knows this. Still, it helps to have it spelled out. 

The news: African cities require an urgent and expensive transformation in view of climate change, says the African Development Bank (AfDB) in a new report.

• Current investment in city infrastructure should double to at least $130 billion annually to meet Africa’s urbanisation and climate needs by 2050, the bank suggests.

• No country on the planet can achieve middle-income status or net-zero status without a well-managed urban transition. 

Dynamic dependence: The continent’s cities show the close link between well-being and climate. Each impacts the other.

• Africa’s well-known population explosion happens in cities. Their inhabitants will more than double by 2050, and with rising prosperity each city dweller requires more power, transport, housing and factories to work in.

• The climate footprint of cities is well-known too. At least 90% of emissions worldwide come from urban centres (power, transport, construction and industry). Agriculture is less than 10%.

The result: Calls for urban renewal in Africa – familiar for decades – are becoming more pressing. African climate action is meaningless without addressing city living.

• In South Africa, emissions from the top 10% of earners (mostly in cities) match those of the bottom 90%. 

• The connection between income and emissions is especially stark in Africa. 

The future: African capitals are not yet major emitters on the scale of Asian & American mega-cities (with a few exceptions). 

• But explosive growth in people, transport and consumption will change that. 

By the numbers: Africa (which has 78 cities with more than 1m residents) is destined to overtake China (which has 113).

• The urban population rate will go from 43% to 60% 

• Creating 1.5 billion African city dwellers by 2050

The challenge: African city living is where extreme poverty meets severe climate turmoil.

• About 70% of Africa's urban population lives in substandard conditions. 

• Climate change impacts their food security, water supply, construction methods, transport links, power supply, health care and waste management. 

The solutions: Some cities are already taking action. 

• Kampala converts urban organic waste into briquettes for clean fuel. 

• This not only aids hygiene and air quality but also provides livelihoods and reduces deforestation. 

Low hanging fruit: Public transport is often a good start as it has revenue streams attached.

• Cape Town’s MyCiTi rapid transit system reduced both emissions and travel time. 

• Addis Ababa’s modern light rail system reduced travel time by as much as 60%. 

Reality check: Not all actions are scalable. 

• Lagos’s Eko Atlantic district (see image at the top) was built on reclaimed land. It is said to be self-sufficient and sustainable. It’s also unaffordable for most Lagosians. 

Zoom out: Balancing climate and urbanisation requires good governance.

• Specific needs may differ from city to city.

• But constant is the need for good planning, execution and expenditure.