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The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note
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Embedding Climate
Resilience into Urban
and Transport Projects
The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note
1. Why is embedding climate
resilience into urban and transport
sectors’ infrastructure, planning,
and policies important?
Africa is the fastest urbanizing continent with more than 40 percent
of the population living in urban areas, an amount that is expected to
increase to 60 percent by 2050 (World Bank, 2020). Rapid, unplanned
urbanization is a major risk factor, leading to an increased concentration
of people, inadequate provision of basic services, and infrastructure in
exposed areas. Urban areas are particularly vulnerable to flooding,
landslides, and coastal impact hazards. Climate change will affect
rainfall patterns and temperature, further exacerbating the intensity
and frequency of floods. Tropical cyclones bring associated high winds,
flooding, and landslides. Climate change is predicted to increase cyclones’
intensity, which can harm cities. Urban informal settlements and slums
are extremely vulnerable due to their typically improvised and unregulated
infrastructure, dense population, and prevalent poverty (World Bank,
The Africa Climate Resilience Investment and private developers in integrating that received catalytic funds from
Facility (AFRI-RES) is a partnership climate resilience in project planning AFRI-RES. It draws from application of
between the Africa Union, African and design, thereby attracting funding the Resilience Booster Tool to specific
Development Bank, the United Nations from both development and climate projects, as relevant, Compendium
Economic Commission for Africa finance sources. Volume on Climate Resilient Investment
(UNECA), and the World Bank Group, in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank
established with support from the Nordic This note summarizes lessons and (2023a) and Guidance, Standards, and
Development Fund (NDF). The partnership practices deployed in embedding climate Good Practice Notes developed under
seeks to assist governments, planners, resilience into the design of projects the program.
Embedding Climate Resilience into Urban and Transport Projects 1
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forthcoming, b1). Expected threats to urban areas also policies for preparation of risk-informed master plans.
include heat waves, vector-borne diseases, decreasing At the metropolitan regional level, fostering urban
water supply reliability, and sea-level rise, many of water resiliency requires (a) coordination across urban
which are expected to intensify due to climate change. services, such as water supply, sewerage, drainage,
Many of the rapidly expanding urban areas are coastal wastewater treatment, and solid waste management,
and are expected to be particularly negatively affected and (b) land use planning, including ecological zoning,
by severe climatic events over the next 30 to 50 years protected areas, and public spaces.
(World Bank, 2023c).
Sub-Saharan Africa’s transportation sector is key
The lack of appropriate solid waste management to regional economic development. In particular,
(SWM) and drainage or sewerage systems is another road accessibility is necessary for inclusion and
highly relevant aspect of African cities’ vulnerability socioeconomic opportunities. Safe and all-season
to climate. This can constitute an important element road accessibility advances the human capital
conducive to flooding, along with increased water- agenda. Roads support inclusion and socioeconomic
borne diseases. Indiscriminate dumping into water opportunities by connecting all community members
channels reduces the discharge capacity of the drains to social opportunities, education, health and financial
and increases flood risks. As such, waste collected services, labor markets, and economic opportunities.
often ends up in open drains, watercourses, and Rural farmers and regional value chains benefit from
streams or in illegal dumpsites, which causes higher rural infrastructure development because road access
flooding impacts. is critical to access markets and distribution centers
and to acquire agriculture inputs.
At the same time, the rapid rate of urbanization in
the region presents a unique opportunity to embed While a fraction of Sub-Saharan Africa countries has
resilience into planning and policies. Climate-smart 70 percent or more of their roads in good condition,
urban planning has the potential to reduce the impacts fewer than 50 percent of the road networks across
of the natural hazards on cities in Sub-Saharan Africa, other Sub-Saharan African countries are in good
bolster environmental sustainability, and create robust condition. When focusing on rural roads, this value
urban environments that can withstand the worsening drops to almost 25 percent, affecting the transport
impacts of climate change. Integrated into climate- of goods out of these areas and the provision of
smart planning, hydrologic and hydraulic studies can goods into these areas during much of the year (World
aid planning and designing for a once-in-a-50-year Bank, forthcoming, a2). Not having safe and weather-
river flood protection for major rivers including the resistant roads undermines communities’ prosperity
canal systems and drainage systems in urban areas. and exacerbates poverty in African communities. Also,
Public service design standards may be upgraded to the high transport and other transfer costs caused by
once-in-a-50-year return period flooding and landslide rural roads in poor condition are a severe constraint
events. Standards should focus on housing, government on the competitiveness of agricultural exports. Poor
buildings, and critical infrastructure systems. This rural roads translate into high per unit transfer costs
entails promoting sectoral and spatial coordination, and limited access to markets, which limit farmers’
promoting risk awareness raising, scaling up citizen ability to capture commodity price increases and their
engagement, garnering private sector engagement, capacity to negotiate terms with traders.
and enhancing awareness around guidelines and
1 The note was prepared in collaboration with Industrial Economics Inc. under the AFRI-RES program.
2 The note was prepared in collaboration with Industrial Economics Inc. under the AFRI-RES program.
Embedding Climate Resilience into Urban and Transport Projects 2
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Securing sound road maintenance practices allows 4°C. These temperature increases will affect rail, air,
countries in Africa to minimize and adapt to the and highway systems through reductions in lifespan
impacts of climate change. World Bank analysis or operational delays (World Bank, forthcoming, a).
(Hallegatte, Rentschler, and Rozenberg 2019) Potential rail deformations will force providers to
shows that road maintenance is the first and most reduce service in times of intense heat. Similarly,
economical line of defense against climate change. air service will be delayed as providers face reduced
Precipitation caused by climate change is expected to capacity for lift during takeoff.
lead to rehabilitation costs 10 times above historical
conditions, and stresses imposed by flooding will lead Sub-Saharan Africa’s transport systems and the
to a 17-fold increase. From Ethiopia in the east to institutions that govern them have limited adaptive
Senegal and neighboring countries in the west, the capacity. There is a need to improve the capacities of
middle of the continent is projected to have up to a 30 scientific institutions, central and local governments,
percent increase in intense precipitation events, with (including transport offices), stakeholders, and civil
significant ramifications for paved and unpaved roads society to help them prepare for climate change’s
(World Bank, forthcoming, a). effects on transport networks. Concurrently, tools
should be developed to support adaptation and
Climate change will affect other transportation mitigation (including advanced early warning systems),
modes. The southern part of the continent, for cross-sectoral cooperation, and sharing of experiences
example, is projected to experience increases of 2°C to and policies.
2. Integration of climate resilience into the urban and
transport sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa
infrastructure and development of the built-up area
Key considerations for embedding and can further exacerbate flood risks. Households
climate resilience into urban contexts in unplanned settlements are particularly vulnerable
to the impacts of urban flooding and landslides.
Traditional gray structural approaches to reduce Acknowledging this interconnection between cities
and manage urban flooding, such as drainage and their environment, and embodying perspectives
systems, run-off canals, and flood control barriers, from the Next Generation Africa Climate Business
are relevant but an end of the line solution. They are Plan (World Bank, 2020), an integrated approach is
more effective as part of an integrated approach that needed for managing risks across the natural and
addresses the climate vulnerability of ecosystems and built environments (figure 1). Such an approach
natural terrain in which urban areas are ensconced. responds to the connectivity between land, water, and
For example, loss of wetlands and inadequate waste in cities, and targets the complementarity and
management of solid waste and wastewater reduce integration of gray infrastructure and nature-based
the natural ability to reduce flood risks and contribute solutions, including green infrastructure, that can be
to increased levels of surface and groundwater, all of replicated across countries and beyond (see figure
which negatively affect communities downstream. 2 for examples of nature-based solutions applied to
If unmanaged, increased surface water can damage climate resilience). This integrated systemic approach
Embedding Climate Resilience into Urban and Transport Projects 3
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Figure 1. Integrated Approach to Urban Flood Risk Management Addressing Basin-Level Climate Vulnerabilities.
Source: World Bank 2020
can be applied to coastal and riverine cities, where river basin, frequently along the main river channels.
water is a prominent part of the landscape and the Periodic dredging of river basins downstream for
risk of coastal flooding, coastal storm surges, and removal of sediments and waste restores their cross-
erosion is high (World Bank 2023b). section flow and hydraulic discharge capacity. To
reduce the regular sediment load on the channels,
To secure water security and flood regulation sand traps can be built on the main channel and
downstream, city governments must partner with downstream sections of tributaries. Flood detention
subnational and national authorities to ensure basins can be built to store peak floodwaters. In
that upstream watersheds are well managed. downstream sections, vehicular and railway bridges
The protection offered by ecosystems and nature- can be reconstructed to reduce hydraulic impediments
based solutions to increase resilience of cities to where structural abutments in the channels and low
climate shocks and stresses needs to be integrated bridge height may present obstacles to discharge.
into climate-smart city plans. However, ensuring a Sea outlets can be reengineered and reconfigured to
stable and cheap water supply for the growing urban reduce hydraulic interference at the point of discharge
population and managing for the increasing frequency to the sea. Additional measures to climate-proof
of floods may require additional cooperation with structural flood mitigation measures and achieve
catchments beyond city jurisdictions—in addition to higher flood safety levels may include the development
proximate catchments. of additional flood detention basins and micro-water
retention areas, or wadis, which follow nature-based
solutions in parks, parking lots, sidewalks, playing
fields, and so on.
Proposed measures in urban sector
projects to increase resilience Nonstructural measures to improve flood
warning and preparedness.
Structural measures to mitigate
flood impacts. This includes scaling up and modernizing flood
forecasting, warning, and emergency response systems.
Investments contribute to improved flood safety, Key agencies involved in the hydrometeorological, flood
focusing on areas at the highest risk of flooding in the early warning, and response value chains need support
Embedding Climate Resilience into Urban and Transport Projects 4
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to enhance community awareness and preparedness. Solid waste management improvements.
These actions aim at (a) laying the foundation for
integrated modernization of hydromet and early These efforts reduce the amount of solid waste
warning services and (b) strengthening operational flowing into primary discharge channels. Because this
collaboration between national-level disaster response component leads to the reduction of solid waste that
and meteorological agencies and local governments to ends up in the ocean, it reduces marine litter. Actions
provide effective flood early warning and response. A include (a) community-based SWM interventions in
paradigm shift is needed to evolve from hazard-based targeted low-income communities, including outreach
early warning to impact-based early warning, improve programs to sensitize and improve public behavior on
last mile communication and community outreach, SWM; improvements of litter management; waste
and support contingency planning and community transfer station construction; capping of old dumpsites:
awareness campaigns in a gender-sensitive manner. and final solid waste disposal capacity improvements.
The outcome provides long-term climate resilience Reducing solid waste in the drainage channel and
for all urban communities exposed to increasingly SWM improvements can bring climate adaptation and
frequent and severe flooding. mitigation benefits from lowered methane emissions
Figure 2. Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience.
Source: Van Zanten et al. 2023
Note: This group of intervention types is not a comprehensive list of all nature-based solutions for resilience types but instead focuses
on interventions for adaptation and disaster risk reduction applications. The rivers and floodplains family includes riparian buffers;
oxbows, side channels, and diversion channels; floodplains and swales; stream biofilters and leaky and woody barriers; and removal of
invasive species that affect flooding. The urban green family includes green buildings and roofs; urban parks and open green space; green
corridors; urban farming; bioretention areas; and sustainable urban drainage systems. The coastal wetlands family includes mangroves.
Submerged aquatic vegetation includes seagrasses and kelp. Designs can include all three types in an integrated approach to urban flood
risk management.
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from unmanaged dump sites. Community-based SWM Participatory community upgrading to
interventions can double as potential public work increase longer-term resilience.
programs in adaptive safety net systems. Community
campaigns can provide incentives to communities Participatory community upgrading can reduce
based on independently verified outcomes, such as vulnerability and strengthen climate resilience to
improved waste collection and reduction of solid waste flooding while improving living conditions in priority
disposed into the drainage system. Physical barriers or communities, including participatory upgrading of
fences, waste collection bins, and signages along the tertiary infrastructure and services prioritized by
channel can prevent people from deliberately dumping targeted low-income communities. This may include
waste into the channels. (a) construction or rehabilitation of drains, local roads,
Action Areas for Integrating Climate Resilience (Flooding) into Urban Sector Projects
Intervention Area Purpose Examples
Structural Measures to Mitigate
Flood Impacts
Basin-level interventions Restore hydraulic discharge capacity of Dredge river basins
river basin
Reduce river and channel Build sand traps
sediment load
Store/retain peak floodwaters Build flood detention basins, micro-
water retention areas (“wadis”),
and other nature-based solutions in
green spaces
Reduce hydraulic interference at the Reengineer sea outlets
point of discharge to the sea (coastal)
Urban infrastructure interventions Improve drainage system Build/extend drainage infrastructure
Scale up and modernize flood
forecasting, warning, and emergency
response systems
Enhwance community awareness Community outreach and
and preparedness education programs
Nonstructural measures to improve
Reduce number of dwellings built in Develop flood risk and zoning maps
flood warning and preparedness
vulnerable areas to flooding
Strengthen operational collaboration
between the national-level disaster
response and meteorological agencies
and local governments
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Action Areas for Integrating Climate Resilience (Flooding) into Urban Sector Projects
Intervention Area Purpose Examples
Improve waste sorting Build waste transfer stations,
and management implement separation of waste
disposal programs
Improve waste disposal Improve final solid waste disposal
SWM Improvements
capacity, cap dumpsites
Create community-based Create community outreach
SWM interventions to reduce programs for sensitization, public
litter accumulation works programs
Figure 3. Proposed Integrated Approach for Flood and Erosion Risk Management in Coastal
Beira, Mozambique
Source: Royal Haskoning DHV, n.dz; in: Van Zanten et al 2023.
Note: For stretch 1, protecting the Port of Beira on the western side of the city, interventions consider an early warning system with other
measures. Along stretches 2, 3, and 4, combinations of seawalls and dune restoration are proposed and evaluated. Stretch 1 = coastal
stretch; stretch 2 = beachhead; stretch 3 = groins; stretch 4=coastal stretch
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pedestrian paths, community sanitation facilities, are in the Dakar coastal zone. In Ghana, Benin, Togo,
streetlighting, open spaces, local markets, and Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, the backbone of national
terminals and (b) construction of primary/secondary economies is in coastal zones, frequently as part of
infrastructure to make tertiary upgrading viable, such urban areas (World Bank 2021b). In addition to the
as interceptor sewers and storm water overflows, overall vulnerabilities to flooding and extreme heat that
small wastewater treatment facilities, and micro- cities can present, coastal cities have vulnerabilities
water retention/detention ponds and public open to coastal climate impacts. For example, the coastal
space. See table 1 for a summary of actions under nations of West and Central Africa have low-lying
each area of intervention. lagoonal coasts that are susceptible to erosion. They
are threatened by sea-level rise and storm surges, in
addition to marine and coastal pollution issues that
exacerbate coastal and riverine flooding. Mozambique
Coastal Cities and Resilience
and Madagascar coastal cities in southeastern Africa
are frequently exposed to tropical hurricane impacts
A large percentage of Africa’s urban population live (World Bank 2023b). For coastal urban resilience,
in coastal cities. In 2006, about 40.4 million Nigerians nature-based solutions and green infrastructure
(19 percent of the national population) lived along can reduce the impact of storm surges, decrease
the coastal zone, and about 7.8 million Senegalese climate vulnerability, and increase resilience. Nature-
(52 percent of the national population) lived in the based solutions include ecosystem-based approaches
Dakar coastal area, of which 60 percent were urban. such as restoration, protection, and management of
The coastal zone is home to a key part of Africa’s mangroves, coral reefs, and other coastal ecosystems.
economies. About 90 percent of Senegalese industries See figure 3.
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Assess the need for institutional strengthening
Key Considerations for Integrating to develop clear guidance on embedding climate
Resilience into the Transport Sector change considerations. Support development of
climate change resiliency strategy and action plans
Key action areas to enhance increasing for the road sectors and practical guidelines for
resilience of projects in the transport sector project engineers and social and environmental
include the following: specialists that are adequate to the rural road context.
Contribute to effective implementation of climate
Incorporate resilience throughout the design, resilience aspects by updating manuals and providing
construction, and maintenance stages of selected technical strengthening in climate resilience, including
roads, taking a fit-for-purpose approach. Efforts can manuals and protocols for emergency preparedness
include activities to develop and conduct diagnostics and response based on the vulnerabilities specific
of existing information, stakeholders, systems, and for each country or region and its rural roads sector.
processes used to conduct vulnerability assessments Take a people-centered approach through inclusive
of road networks; reviews of design, construction, consultations to embed green, climate-resilient
and maintenance standards with a resiliency focus; considerations to foster inclusive approaches. These
and vulnerability assessments at the network and will complement engineering adaptation options to
subproject levels as needed. To implement activities, climate vulnerability. Where needed, projects should
assessments should look into specific climatic look to facilitate cross-institutional climate resilience
regional threats, such as wildfires or coastal and river work. Promote planning cooperation and share sources
floods, to support all-season access, especially for of data and knowledge on climate resiliency from the
smallholder farmers. interministerial to local levels, including local practices.
See table 2 for summaries of potential actions under
each intervention area.
Action Areas for Integrating Climate Resilience (Flooding) into Transport Sector Projects
Intervention Area Purpose Examples
Identify key links for the good Conduct road network
operation of the road network and vulnerability assessment
that could constitute bottlenecks due
to climate vulnerability
Ensure integration of climate resilience Review design, construction, and
into transport infrastructure maintenance standards with
resiliency focus
Design, construction, and
Ensure integrating resiliency to specific Conduct local network and subproject
maintenance of road networks
local climate threats (flooding, extreme vulnerability assessments
heat, fire hazards) into transport
networks to support all-season access
Address rural road network resiliency Develop practical guidelines for project
engineers and social and environmental
specialists that are adequate to the
rural road context
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Action Areas for Integrating Climate Resilience (Flooding) into Transport Sector Projects
Intervention Area Purpose Examples
Develop clear guidance on embedding Assess the need for
climate change considerations into the institutional strengthening
transport sector
Ensure effective implementation Develop climate change resiliency
of climate resilience into the strategy and action plans for the
road networks road sectors
Update manuals and protocols for
emergency preparedness and response
based on vulnerabilities of each
Institutional and community
country or region
capacity building
Build long-term, integrated climate Promote planning cooperation
resilience across stakeholders and shared sources of data and
and institutions knowledge on climate resiliency from
the interministerial to the local level,
including local practices
Complement engineering adaptation Conduct inclusive consultations
options to climate vulnerability with to embed green, climate-resilient
community and other specialist views considerations
on resilience needs
Case Studies from the AFRI-RES– Greater Accra Resilient and
dd
Supported Urban and Transport Integrated Development Project
Sector Projects on Integrating
The Greater Accra Region (GAR) in Ghana faces
Resilience into Designs coastal impact challenges: a historical rate of coastal
erosion is eroding 1.5 meters per year in some of Accra’s
This section describes projects3 supported by the coastal communities. A significant number of houses
AFRI-RES fund. Some used the Resilience Booster along the coast have been washed away, and the trend
Tool to aid project design. The Resilience Booster continues in select areas. The region faces increased
is an interactive, step-by-step tool for development flood risks. Floods affect poor urban households more
practitioners to embed climate resilience through a than the rest of the GAR population. The urban poor
set of resilience attributes into project designs. It helps tend to reside in low-lying or uninhabitable areas, and
teams to think through, specify, and design project often these informal settlements (38.4 percent of the
activities that build resilience by integrating resilience GAR population) are associated with overcrowding,
attributes. We report the results of the application substandard housing, and poor access to basic services.
of the Resilience Booster at the end of the project Their situation contributes to increased flood impacts:
description if available4. for example, inadequate solid waste collection and
disposal services and inadequate drainage management
contribute to drain blockage and flooding.
1 Greater Accra Climate Resilient and Integrated Development Project, Senegal Stormwater Management and Climate Change Adapta-
tion Project II, Cameroon Douala Urban Mobility Project, Tanzania Development Corridors Transport Project, Tanzania Roads to Inclu-
sion and Socioeconomic Opportunities (RISE) Project
2 See also Rigaud, Arora, and Singh (2023).
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The aim of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated
Development Project (US$ 200.00 million) is to
Senegal Stormwater Management
improve the flood risk management and SWM in and Climate Change Adaptation
GAR and access to basic infrastructure and services Project 2
in targeted communities. The project intervenes at
the basin level to improve drainage, flood mitigation, Coastal floods affect Dakar urban and peri-urban
and SWM. It also engages beneficiaries, local areas, which will likely be aggravated with climate
government jurisdictions, sectoral ministries, and other change. The population living in the low elevation
stakeholders at all levels to facilitate participatory coastal zone areas (32 percent of the total projected for
upgrading of critical services and infrastructure. 2030) in Senegal are highly vulnerable to the impacts
of sea-level rise, storm surge, and erosion. After Nigeria,
Basin-level interventions ensure that upstream, Senegal ranks second in Sub-Saharan Africa on the
middle, and downstream areas are planned and number of people exposed to coastal flooding. Sea-level
managed in a water-sensitive way to improve changes and land degradation are leading to coastal
drainage and reduce flooding impacts. By applying erosion, which poses a major threat to Senegal’s
nature-based solutions and green/gray infrastructure population and economy. Sea level could rise by up to
to mitigate the risk of flash floods, (a) upstream 1 meter by the end of the century because of climate
areas can absorb excess rainwater through retention change. The observed erosion rate of the shoreline varies
ponds, (b) midstream areas can preserve open spaces between 1 to 2 meters per year for sandy beaches.
for absorbing stormwater through resilient drains Erosion is affecting the coastal zone in the Dakar peri-
and green spaces, and (c) downstream areas can urban area the most. In the Dakar Metropolitan Area,
drain stormwater quickly by widening channels and more than US$2 billion, or 5 percent, of physical assets
outlets to the sea. The SWM interventions include a are potentially exposed to high natural hazards.
multifaceted litter management strategy to reduce
waste entering waterways. The Senegal Stormwater Management and Climate
Change Adaptation Project 2 (US$ 172.40 million)
The project adopts an integrated approach toward addresses these coastal erosion and flooding
addressing growing socioeconomic challenges climate impacts through integrated urban planning
related with uncontrolled growth and flooding in and management actions. The project focuses on
the GAR by bringing all key stakeholders together, developing plans to better protect populations and
including local government jurisdictions, and across infrastructure from increased flood risk and coastal
sectoral ministries. In addition, the project design erosion. It will finance structural urban planning
acknowledges there is no single solution, and flexibility studies and contingency plans across five water basins
across a long-term horizon supports experimentation, and capacity building for the municipal planning
learning, and effective solutions to bring effective authorities on flood management. For each water basin,
change in citizens’ mindsets (for example, not settling a flood risk management plan will be produced. Further,
in flood plains or keeping streams free of waste), climate-resilient principles will be followed in the urban
government entities, private sectors, and nonprofit planning and land management plans because informal
organizations. Finally, the project design heavily centers settlements are often in low-lying, flood-prone, and
on community engagement early on and throughout environmentally sensitive areas. The planning process will
planning and prioritization of investments to ensure identify the most sensitive areas to implement zoning
effective outcomes and improve operations and regulations to prevent construction in areas exposed to
management (O&M) after project implementation. the worsening effects of climate change.
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Figure 4. Resilience Booster Tool Attributes.
Source: World Bank AFRI-RES webpage, https://resiliencetool.worldbank.org/#/home.
Locally, the project will use studies to promote for, and adapt to changing climate conditions, such as
resilient and green city practices, all of which have predicted evolutions in extreme rainfall events. Project
strong adaptation and mitigation co-benefits. To geographic targeting will focus on areas that are
enhance adaptation co-benefits, the studies on flood highly exposed to climate change and sensitive to
risk management, rainfall harvesting and wetland natural hazards such as flooding and erosion. Green
management, strategic planning of protected buffer spaces along the drainage network will be designed
zone areas, and information systems and early to improve conditions during heatwaves. Investments
warning systems will support the security of urban in retention basins and pumping activities will allow
coastal populations by reducing flood risks worsening for increased resilience during flood events linked to
with climate change. the worsening effect of climate change. Technical
studies will inform the design of new drainage
The project will implement pumping and drainage networks in other peri-urban areas of Dakar and
infrastructure construction and management, Saint-Louis. Further, the project has additional
informed by flood modeling that accounts for climate adaptation co-benefits because it will help improve
projections and the worsening effects of climate water sanitation and prevent clogging of networks
change. It will focus on the watersheds in the Dakar with sewage systems.
Metropolitan Area, which recent floods have affected
heavily. All infrastructure investments will be Applying the Resilience Booster tool, a focus on
designed to climate-resilient standards: planned, robustness as a resilience attribute is linked to
designed, built, and operated to anticipate, prepare structural investments such as drainage elements,
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rainwater collection basins, and floodwater canals infrastructure contributes to postharvest losses
or outlets to the sea, which contribute to increasing (estimated at up to 35 percent in some regions).
the absorptive capacity. Urban policy reforms Because most of the rural poor rely on agriculture,
and elaboration of urban risk plans will increase improving their road access can bring economic and
the adaptive capacity of the system and affected social gains. Despite the importance of roads for rural
communities through capacity building of key flood communities, Tanzania is significantly underserved.
management actors (see figure 4). Approximately 13 percent of regional and 42 percent of
district roads are in poor condition. Estimates suggest
that in the rainy season, between 20,000 and 30,000
Tanzania Roads to Inclusion and kilometers out of 56,000 kilometers of the classified
tertiary (district) road network are not passable by
Socioeconomic Opportunities
normal motorized vehicles. Also, the comparatively
(RISE) Project low road density allows for little network redundancy:
there are no alternatives when sections are flooded.
Many of the agriculturally rich areas in Tanzania The national road density is approximately 9.8
are physically inaccessible year-round, often due kilometers per 100 square kilometers. Comparable
to missing or unreliable road links. This negatively figures from neighboring Uganda are 70 kilometers
affects the extraction of full agriculture potentials. per 100 square kilometers and 28 kilometers per 100
In many remote areas, the absence of reliable and square kilometers for Kenya.
adequate transport services and deficient transport
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The Tanzania Roads to Inclusion and Socioeconomic coordination, implementation and maintenance
Opportunities (RISE) Project (US$ 300.00 million) of works, and capacity building for emergency
addresses climate change issues in the rural road preparedness and response management.
network, which is a critical lifeline for the rural poor
who rely heavily on climate-sensitive agricultural
livelihoods. The road sector is susceptible to damage Tanzania Transport
from precipitation and related weather events. The Integration Project
unpaved road network is more vulnerable, especially in
rural areas, not only because earth roads are inherently The Tanzania Transport Integration Project (US$
more vulnerable but also because maintenance 550.00 million) deploys climate resilience measures
practices are less institutionalized and resources are appropriate to road climate vulnerability and
often scarcer. Precipitation events cause flooding and addresses airport climate vulnerability. The goals are
landslides that damage the road network and disrupt to manage climate risks and enhance the resilience of
connectivity. For example, the floods of 2011 destroyed infrastructure, services, and communities served.
six bridges and several roads in Morogoro Region, and
in 2014, heavy rains displaced over 10,000 people and This project will finance the upgrading and
damaged infrastructure in the same area. Tanzania’s rehabilitation works of about 510 kilometers of
physical road vulnerability to climate impacts is roads, identifying key links for the good operation of
coupled with limited resources and maintenance the road network and that constitute bottlenecks due
practices and institutional capacity, resulting in to climate vulnerability. The roads will be rehabilitated
climatic impacts that harm efforts to reduce poverty and upgraded to integrate climate resilience
and share prosperity. measures to enhance resilience and adaptation of
these roads and the road network. The roads will
Climate resiliency is embedded in all the receive routine and periodic maintenance, observing
components of the RISE project. It will continue to climate resilience requirements. Climate change
incorporate climate resilience aspects in planning, adaptation measures entail realigning the road
design, community engagement, stakeholder network to reduce exposure to natural hazards.
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Structural measures include raising road formation
levels based on maximum flood levels, adjusting Cameroon Douala Urban Mobility Project
embankment slopes, enhancing drainage, improving
road permeability, using subsurface drains, introducing Located at the estuary of the Wouri River,
debris deflectors, conducting scour checks, preventing Douala, Cameroon, is highly vulnerable to extreme
erosion, using roads for water management, monitoring hydrometeorological events. The hydrographic network
conditions and establishing early warning systems, is dense and dendritic, with 23 catchment basins. Due
and improving pavement and bridge design. to Douala’s uneven terrain, stormwater is evacuated
through streams that form in topologic depressions.
The project will also finance the rehabilitation and In some areas, inadequate drainage systems lead to
upgrading of three priority regional airports that are stagnating waters. According to climate projections,
exposed and vulnerable to climate change impacts. rainfall levels and intensity are expected to increase
The interventions include addressing asset damage in the Littoral region, where Douala is located, in the
caused by climatic events and enhancing climate coming decades. Heavy rainstorms are increasing in
resilience of airports, such as strengthening the intensity and frequency, and rainstorms bringing high
climate resilience of runways, taxiway and apron, precipitations (205 millimeters per hour) are likely
terminal building, and safety and security facilities. to occur every two years. Between 2015 and 2020,
Airport capacity will be enhanced to address the city experienced annual high-impact flood events.
projected medium- and long-term demand using Continued uncontrolled urban development in flood-
climate-resilient, international standards of safety. prone areas and soil sealing will further increase
the exposure of the city’s population and economic
The project will strengthen monitoring and development to greater climate risks. Rising sea levels
maintenance activities based on climate resilience induced by global warming will exacerbate flooding
objectives, such as establishing extreme weather risks along Cameroon’s coasts, including in Douala.
early warning systems, introducing regular
inspection scour checks on runways, and deploying To mitigate these flood risks, the Cameroon Douala
timely maintenance to prevent erosion. It will also Urban Mobility Project (US$ 420.00 million) will
invest in community-based social infrastructure design actions to increase the climate adaptation
that considers climate resilience through selecting capacity of the urban transport infrastructure. Two
locations that have low exposure to natural hazards, technical feasibility studies will inform the proposed
and incorporating design measures that enhance project, including a flood modeling study for Douala
climate resilience, such as deploying appropriate which was developed using hydrological and hydraulic
drainage, roofing, and cooling or shade provisions along modeling software. Flood simulations produced
segregated walkways at all populated areas along water speed and depth maps, which were then
the road. Other project activities focus on enhancing used to create flood danger maps for the city and
institutional capacity, including that of climate its catchment basins. Based on these danger maps,
risk management. Climate considerations and risk critical vulnerability points were identified along the
management will be integrated in transport sector bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors.
policies and strategies, road asset management
systems, and training. Tools and provisions for Addressing these vulnerability hotspots will help to
private sector participation in transport financing ensure that infrastructure design and transport
will integrate climate resilience considerations. operations are adapted to climate risks. A second
study is assessing flood risks associated with the
project’s activities to inform climate adaptation plans
Embedding Climate Resilience into Urban and Transport Projects 15
NOTE
The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note
2
and measures. It will propose priority investments climate-related hazards are systematically considered
and measures to strengthen the climate resilience of in urban transport planning and management. It will
the urban transport infrastructure and operations. review transport infrastructure construction codes
This study will assess the exposure of the BRT and standards to assess how climate-related risks
infrastructure and selected feeder roads to extreme can be better integrated. An expanded roadmap will
hydrometeorological events and inform the technical help stakeholders assess urban vulnerability to climate
designers how to adapt to these events and design change and design an adaptation strategy for urban
drainage systems, bioswales, sewer and water networks. Local stakeholders will be trained in
supplies, stormwater retention vegetation, and traffic urban mobility and climate change issues to better
diversion routes; and make sure crossing structures incorporate climate resilience considerations in
are correctly sized based on flood risks. It will identify urban transport planning and management.
and prioritize technical solutions to mitigate flood
risks for the mass transit system and its feeder roads. The project’s robustness and absorptive capacity
These technical solutions will combine structural and of the system is increased through the Resilience
ecosystems-based approaches. Booster tool, introducing climate-resilient
structural adaptations to the feeder roads and BRT
The project will help to prepare climate-resilient infrastructure. The project’s adaptability quotient is
O&M protocols for the BRT system and emergency increased through planning the transport network
response and contingency plans for BRT and system with climate hazard mapping. Preparing
other transportation services in case of extreme climate-resilient O&M protocols for the BRT system
hydrometeorological events. To ensure long-term and training local stakeholders in urban mobility and
resilience, the study will strengthen the capacity climate change issues enhance long-term resilience,
of municipal and national institutions to ensure constituting a transformational change.
Embedding Climate Resilience into Urban and Transport Projects 16
NOTE
The Africa Climate Resilience Investment Facility (AFRI-RES) Learning Note
2
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