EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Adapting to climate change Climate change has serious current and potential consequences for African cities, as is evident in recurrent episodes of flooding, coastal erosion, storm surges and drought. Both central and local governments are inadequately prepared. There is an urgent need for bold steps to improve the resilience of cities, in great part through the provision of adequate protective infrastructure such as storm drains and all weather roads. This is another compelling reason for the proper provision of basic services to the urban poor, who live disproportionately in the areas most vulnerable to extreme weather events.
Conclusions and recommendations Ten conclusions and recommendations on the governance of basic services in African cities follow: Access to basic services is key to improving the living conditions of city-dwellers, the effectiveness of local businesses, the attractiveness of cities and, in the end, the competitiveness of national economies. Progress in access to basic services is positively linked to the greater involve-
ment of local government in their provision and delivery. Progress is also much better when there is a multi-level, collaborative approach in the provision and governance of basic services. The infrastructure needed for providing basic services is capital intensive and requires the intervention of the state for its funding. In African cities, it is common for the maintenance and management of basic service infrastructure to be neglected because of the poorly defined allocation of responsibility among different levels of government, with consequences for access and efficiency in service delivery. One of the main problems facing basic service provision in Africa is the lack of planning for support infrastructures associated with land use planning. Long term strategic city planning should become routine in all cities so that infrastructure development occurs in a coordinated, coherent and timely manner. Local governments throughout Africa struggle with huge urban growth, which creates moving targets in service delivery and a constant shortage in the funding necessary to keep up with demand.
94% Northern Africa Sub-Saharan 42% Africa Urban sanitation coverage 2011: improved sanitation facilities
Source: Progress on Sanitation on Drinking-Water. 2013 Update. World Health Organization - Unicef.