Policy-making in dryland Africa

The document argues that urban climate resilience in dryland Africa requires alternative models of knowledge production and decision-making that prioritize social inclusivity and innovation. It highlights that rapid, expansive population growth in African cities increases land use change and leaves residents of informal settlements vulnerable to climate risks such as flooding and landslides due to a lack of basic services and secure tenure. Based on stakeholder interviews from the "Peri-Urban Resilient Ecosystems" partnership, the brief emphasizes democratic accountability, transparent decision-making, and community co-production as essential themes for scalable and replicable urban policy.

• African cities are among the world's fastest growing, with population growth occurring in an expansive manner that drives land use change at a rate higher than population growth alone, leading to social and ecological consequences.
• Residents of informal settlements in these cities are disproportionately vulnerable to climate-related risks, including landslides and flooding, because they often lack secure tenure and access to essential infrastructure and services.
• Effective governance and resilient urban strategies in the Global South require a shift toward alternative knowledge production and decision-making models centered on community co-production, transparent processes, and democratic accountability.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2021). Policy-making in dryland Africa. https://www.sei.org/publications/policy-making-dryland-africa/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Policy-making in dryland Africa. 2021. https://www.sei.org/publications/policy-making-dryland-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Policy-making in dryland Africa |date=1 February 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/policy-making-dryland-africa/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2021policymaking, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Policy-making in dryland Africa}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/policy-making-dryland-africa/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }