Water Resilience in a Changing Urban Context: Africa's Challenge and Pathways for Action

African cities face increasing water insecurity driven by climate change and rapid urbanization, which current governance and financial models cannot address. The report argues for a transition to water-resilient systems through four strategic pathways: risk-informed land management, equitable access for vulnerable populations, institutional innovation, and aligned sectoral investments.

• Current urbanization patterns, water supply systems, and governance and financial models are insufficient to handle the rising demand and water-related risks in African urban areas.
• The report identifies four priority pathways for cities to establish urban water resilience: planning for water through risk-informed land management, prioritizing equitable access for the vulnerable, creating scalable change via innovative institutions, and aligning water-resilient investments.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Water Resilience in a Changing Urban Context: Africa's Challenge and Pathways for Action. https://www.wri.org/research/urban-water-resilience-africa

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Water Resilience in a Changing Urban Context: Africa's Challenge and Pathways for Action. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/urban-water-resilience-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Water Resilience in a Changing Urban Context: Africa's Challenge and Pathways for Action |url=https://www.wri.org/research/urban-water-resilience-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendwater, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Water Resilience in a Changing Urban Context: Africa's Challenge and Pathways for Action}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/urban-water-resilience-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }