African leaders sound alarm on impact of climate change and urbanisation

As climate change continues to wreak havoc across Africa, leaders attending the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, have sounded the alarm.

They say extreme weather events and rapid urbanisation are outpacing their ability to respond to the crisis, and that the money to fix it is just not there.

The forum brought together government leaders, urban planners, researchers, and development partners from 176 countries to discuss housing challenges affecting billions of people.

This included representatives of Angola, Ethiopia, The Gambia, and South Africa

Moges Tadesse, Chief Resilience officer at the Addis Ababa City Resilience Project Office, said many homes are being destroyed by flooding during the rainy season.

“Especially those living near the river bank, the buffer area. So it has destroyed their houses, their assets, and also their life has been lost,” he said.

Tadesse added that this has a cascading effect on both public health and the livelihood of residents.

The United Nations says sustainable urbanisation and access to homes are central to achieving global development goals.

African policymakers are increasingly treating housing, not as a welfare issue but as a core economic and infrastructure challenge.

Angola's Minister of Public Works, Urban Planning, and Housing, Carlos Alberto Gregório dos Santos, said his country is directing around 7.5% of gross domestic product towards the residential sector — one of its largest areas of public investment.

“The state alone has built 350,000 homes in recent years, which means that the housing deficit today is reduced. We still have some challenges, we will fight to overcome them,” he said.

Dos Santos said forums like WUF13 allow developing countries to compare models and exchange practical solutions on housing, transport and infrastructure.

"Africa, Europe, and Asia must work together," he said.

The Gambia's Minister of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs, Hamat Ngai Kumba Bah, said the Baku forum offered important lessons in resilience and national coordination.

On financing to support urban development, Bah was blunt.

"In this world today, nobody has enough finances," he said, arguing that governments with limited budgets must move toward innovative financing mechanisms rather than relying on traditional multilateral funding alone.

Given that many African cities are experiencing rapid population growth, participants also emphasised the need to strengthen climate adaptation measures and investment in urban infrastructure.