Sub-Saharan Afrika

Promoting sustainable urban development, local economic strength, and climate adaptation through hands-on exchange and innovative solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The region is grappling with extreme climatic events such as floods and heatwaves, which heavily affect vulnerable populations and informal settlements. These challenges test the resilience of cities, which is why a focus is placed on flood management and mitigating urban heat islands. In terms of local economic development, cities must create a better business environment to compete for investment and talent. In the SSA network, topics such as renewable energy for economic development, hydrogen technology, and circular economy are being intensively addressed.

Rapid urbanization is leading to the uncontrolled spread of informal settlements, overwhelming the planning and service delivery capacities of many municipalities. In this context, the SSA network is working intensively on solutions that address sustainable, affordable housing, waste management, and the use of sustainable water resources to ensure future-proof urban development.

Thematic clusters for exchange and collaboration
Short-term formats: Webinars, online workshops, exchange events
In-person workshops and conferences for solution design
Study trips and expert missions for practical insights
Focus on local challenges and success stories

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About the region

In 2023, the population of Sub-Saharan African countries (SSA) is expected to reach 1.24 billion people, with approximately 472 million in urban areas. The region is facing rapid urbanization, which will cause the urban population to grow to 2.5 billion by 2050. Given this development, cities will need to become increasingly inclusive and resilient to meet the rising challenges.

Mumuni Tijani_Leiter der Abteilung Raumplanung, Ablekuma Central Municipal District, Accra, Ghana

Flooding is a serious issue for Accra, leading to significant losses of life, property, and infrastructure. The Connective Cities learning process on risk-aware urban development came at the right time. As a participant from the Ablekuma Central General Assembly, I was able to learn practical strategies and tools to address these challenges and develop a deeper understanding of resilience. (...) The discussions on Risk Drivers, Nature-based Solutions, and Communication helped me view the issue from different perspectives and strengthened my professional confidence, which also positively impacted the lives of many people.

Regional Learning Process

in Sub-Saharan Africa

Risk informed urban development

As part of the learning process “Flood Risk Management for Risk-Informed Urban Development,” 52 professionals from 26 cities in the SSA region worked together to develop innovative solutions for risk management in urban systems. In collaboration with the Cologne City Drainage Department and the City of Cologne, the focus was on strengthening risk-informed urban development and promoting a systemic, multi-hazard approach to disaster risk management.

The learning process was implemented jointly with the “Resilience Initiative Africa” project.

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International learning process

Deep Dive

Heat in the City

Six cities – Lüdenscheid and Heidelberg (Germany), Aswan (Egypt), Nairobi and Mombasa (Kenya), and Lviv (Ukraine) – are collaborating from mid-2023 to 2025 as part of the "Heat in the City" learning process.

They are analyzing the effects of heatwaves and urban heat islands in their cities and developing tailored solutions for their local contexts. The goal is to promote urban adaptation to the challenges of climate change.

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