African cities and climate change: Who should pay to fix the problem?

General view of Nairobi Expressway and Upper hill, Nairobi on April 29, 2023. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

For most city mayors and managers in Africa, the debate about whether climate change is real is a moot topic. They know it is. They are on the front lines dealing with the impact of droughts, rising sea levels and floods, such as those in the Gulf of Guinea.

Cyclones are more frequent and intense. Cyclone Freddy, which hit Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar in June 2023, is an example. More than 1,000 people were killed.