African cities are key to dealing with climate loss and damage

African cities are critical to managing climate loss and damage but are severely underfunded and underrepresented in international negotiations. With 83% of African cities at extreme risk, the brief urges a shift toward multi-level governance, improved urban-specific vulnerability data, and stronger city-to-city solidarity to access emerging UNFCCC funding instruments.

• African cities face extreme climate vulnerability, with 83% rated at 'extreme risk'. This vulnerability is heightened in informal settlements, where over 265 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live in unplanned areas often located in floodplains or coastal strips. Climate impacts include floods, cyclones, droughts, and sea-level rise, which disproportionately affect marginalised groups such as women, children, and the urban poor.
• The global climate financial architecture has largely bypassed African cities. Africa receives only 3% of global climate funding, which is primarily directed toward small-scale projects in middle-income countries. Furthermore, only 3–5% of total adaptation funds have been allocated to urban contexts, and over 90% of urban finance is focused on carbon emission mitigation.

APA

Mbiyozo, A.-N. (2025). African cities are key to dealing with climate loss and damage. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1765343610657-policy-brief-211.pdf

Chicago

Mbiyozo, Aimée-Noël. African cities are key to dealing with climate loss and damage. Institute for Security Studies, 2025. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1765343610657-policy-brief-211.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{mbiyozo2025african, author = {Mbiyozo, Aimée-Noël}, title = {{African cities are key to dealing with climate loss and damage}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2025}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1765343610657-policy-brief-211.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }