Emerging issues

Urban areas within Southern Africa are increasingly vulnerable to disasters. It is estimated that flood-related disasters affected 3.43 million in Mozambique, 310,000 in Zimbabwe and 90,000 in RSA between 1999 and 2004, many of whom were poor urban dwellers. 167 Disasters such as the 2007 drought in Lesotho and the January 2012 tropical depression “Dando”, followed by cyclone “Funso”, have impacted almost all Southern African areas. Such events create cascading adverse impacts on food security, health, economic activity, housing, settlements, critical urban infrastructure and key urban functions. Inadequate early warning systems; lack of preparedness; as well as outdated and insufficient land use planning and building codes increase risk, especially for the poor and vulnerable in cities. 168 Further, as urban population and service provision pressures continue to mount in Southern Africa, low-level hazards are intensified through high social vulnerability levels. 169

Related Subject(s): Human Settlements and Urban Issues