Publications & reports
Building Climate Resilient Urban Futures in the Horn of Africa
Cities across the Horn of Africa (HoA) are increasingly shaped by the convergence of climate change, displacement, and urban governance stress. Recurrent droughts and floods, interacting with conflict, weak land and environmental governance, and limited rural adaptation options, are driving sustained rural–urban and cross-border mobility toward secondary and regional cities. These cities have become de facto displacement hubs, absorbing populations displaced by livelihood collapse and environmental stress. Rapid, largely unplanned expansion is intensifying pressure on land, housing, and basic services, while deepening spatial and socio-economic inequalities as planning and infrastructure investment lag behind. At the same time, migrants and internally displaced people (IDPs) sustain urban economies through informal trade, labour, and services, highlighting mobility as both a source of resilience and stress. Drawing on research in Kisumu and Baidoa, this brief identifies priorities for integrated urban resilience.
- Date
- Type
- Publication
- Country/Region
- Horn of Africa
Summary
Cities across the Horn of Africa (HoA) are increasingly shaped by the convergence of climate change, displacement, and urban governance stress. Recurrent droughts and floods, interacting with conflict, weak land and environmental governance, and limited rural adaptation options, are driving sustained rural–urban and cross-border mobility toward secondary and regional cities. These cities have become de facto displacement hubs, absorbing populations displaced by livelihood collapse and environmental stress. Rapid, largely unplanned expansion is intensifying pressure on land, housing, and basic services, while deepening spatial and socio-economic inequalities as planning and infrastructure investment lag behind. At the same time, migrants and internally displaced people (IDPs) sustain urban economies through informal trade, labour, and services, highlighting mobility as both a source of resilience and stress. Drawing on research in Kisumu and Baidoa, this brief identifies priorities for integrated urban resilience.