Review article: Climate hazards in African cities – knowledge gaps and research needs
- 1Flemish Institute for Technological Research (Mol, Belgium)
Abstract
This study conducts a semi-systematic assessment of scientific literature published between 2015 and 2025 to examine the current state of knowledge on climate hazards in African cities. A broad literature search yielded 1832 records, which were conservatively screened to a final sample of 272 articles. The corpus was analysed using quantitative mapping and a qualitative hazard-based expert review. The analysis reveals a rapidly expanding but uneven knowledge base. Research is geographically concentrated, with Central Africa and small and fast-growing secondary cities underrepresented. Flooding and heat-related topics dominate the literature, whereas sea-level rise, windstorms and urban water stress receive comparatively limited attention. Consideration of multiple hazards remains limited and uneven, while explicit analysis of interactions between hazards is rare. Earth Observation is widely used, but its broader potential remains underexploited, while high-resolution urban climate modelling and observations remain limited. Most studies focus on historical or present-day conditions, and few combine future climate scenarios with projected urban growth. Overall, broader geographic and thematic coverage, improved high-resolution observations and urban-scale modelling, and stronger integration of future climate and urban development are needed to provide a more representative evidence base for adaptation and resilience planning in African cities.
Versions
Related
- Integrating local ecological knowledge from professional fishers with environmental observations can improve the understanding, forecasting, and management of climate-sensitive jellyfish hazards
- Building materials and emissions from rebuilding under increasing climate-driven flood hazards
- Spatiotemporal patterns of climate extremes and compound hazards: A case study of Saudi Arabia
- Where is the evidence? A global systematic review of sanitation system resilience to climate hazards
- Projected increase in stress on African potential groundwater resources due to climate change and increased human water use
BibTeX
@article{ridder2026review,
title = {{Review article: Climate hazards in African cities – knowledge gaps and research needs}},
author = {Koen De Ridder and Mohammad H. Alobaidi and Hossein Bonakdari and Tomas Crols and Benjamin Lanssens and Jonathan Leon-Tavares and Alireza Naseri and Ousmane Seidou and Mohammad Shaheen and Niels Souverijns and Inge Uljee and Nele Veldeman},
journal = {Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.5194/nhess-26-5219-2026},
url = {https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/26/5219/2026/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Review article: Climate hazards in African cities – knowledge gaps and research needs
AU - Koen De Ridder
AU - Mohammad H. Alobaidi
AU - Hossein Bonakdari
AU - Tomas Crols
AU - Benjamin Lanssens
AU - Jonathan Leon-Tavares
AU - Alireza Naseri
AU - Ousmane Seidou
AU - Mohammad Shaheen
AU - Niels Souverijns
AU - Inge Uljee
AU - Nele Veldeman
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DO - 10.5194/nhess-26-5219-2026
UR - https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/26/5219/2026/
AB - This study conducts a semi-systematic assessment of scientific literature published between 2015 and 2025 to examine the current state of knowledge on climate hazards in African cities. A broad literature search yielded 1832 records, which were conservatively screened to a final sample of 272 articles. The corpus was analysed using quantitative mapping and a qualitative hazard-based expert review. The analysis reveals a rapidly expanding but uneven knowledge base. Research is geographically concentrated, with Central Africa and small and fast-growing secondary cities underrepresented. Flooding and heat-related topics dominate the literature, whereas sea-level rise, windstorms and urban water stress receive comparatively limited attention. Consideration of multiple hazards remains limited and uneven, while explicit analysis of interactions between hazards is rare. Earth Observation is widely used, but its broader potential remains underexploited, while high-resolution urban climate modelling and observations remain limited. Most studies focus on historical or present-day conditions, and few combine future climate scenarios with projected urban growth. Overall, broader geographic and thematic coverage, improved high-resolution observations and urban-scale modelling, and stronger integration of future climate and urban development are needed to provide a more representative evidence base for adaptation and resilience planning in African cities.
SN - 1684-9981
SN - 1561-8633
ER -