African cities are running out of time. Climate change, rapid urbanization and chronic housing shortages are converging on a continent where governments don't have the funding to respond on a large scale, and officials meeting at the World Urban Forum ’ in Baku’ say old financing models are no longer enough.
WUF13, the 13th edition of the forum, brought together African policymakers who increasingly addressed housing not as a welfare problem, but as a fundamental economic and infrastructure problem linked to climate adaptation, migration and post-conflict recovery.
Angola's Minister of Public Works, Urban Planning and Settlement, Carlos Alberto Gregório dos Santos, said that %He said 7,5’ini led the way to the housing sector, one of the largest areas of public investment.
The Angolan state has built about 350,000 homes in recent years to address the national housing gap in cities that are growing faster than governments can build.
Dos Santos said forums such as WUF13 allow developing countries to compare models and exchange practical solutions on housing, transport and infrastructure.
“Africa, Europe and Asia should work together, ” said.
Lessons to be learned from restructuring
Azerbaijan’'s own reconstruction experience has become a recurring point of reference for delegates from countries struggling with post-conflict recovery or crumbling infrastructure.
Gambia's Minister of Soil, Regional Government and Religious Affairs Hamat Ngai Kumba Bah said that Baku’ offers important lessons in resilience and national coordination, noting the decision to transform a sports field into a summit venue as an adaptive urban development model rather than costly new constructions.
Bah was outspoken about the finances. Advocating that governments with limited budgets should turn to innovative financing mechanisms instead of relying solely on traditional multilateral financing, “ said no one in the world today has enough funding.
Trees against floods
Climate resilience has dominated much of the debate, especially for cities already living with the consequences.
Addis Ababa’'s head of resilience, Moges Tadesse, warned that seasonal flooding is destroying homes, damaging infrastructure and driving residents away from riverbanks and flood-prone areas, with gradual impacts on public health and livelihoods.
Ethiopia’'s response was predominantly based on nature-based solutions.
Addis Ababa has planted more than 90 million trees in the last five years. Ethiopia has planted about 47 billion trees nationwide as part of a wider land restoration program.
Tadesse also pressured rich nations to do more. He argued that the countries that contribute the least to global carbon emissions suffer the greatest environmental and economic costs.
For many delegates in Baku’, the message was the same; African cities cannot afford to treat housing, climate and economic development as separate problems. The question is whether the financing will follow.
