WE must recognise the importance of adapting cities to climate change and develop a roadmap to achieve it. The world is rapidly urbanising because of the growing size and density of the urban population. Estimates show that some 4.4 billion people live in cities and this number is expected to double by 2050 when seven out of 10 people reside in cities. The massive growth in urban population presents innumerable socioeconomic and environmental challenges, including the provision and maintenance of essential services — health, water supply, housing and public transport — as well as job creation.

Since cities in low-income countries already face serious socioeconomic difficulties, climate change acts as an intensifier; it amplifies existing challenges. Thus, climate change unveils additional risks in terms of direct and indirect impacts, including extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, flooding, wildfires, storms, coastal inundation and vector-borne and waterborne diseases. Extreme weather events often disrupt economic activity and basic services, which disrupts households, businesses and communities. They hamper poverty eradication and social mobility and widen socioeconomic disparities. So, the cost........

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