African megacities like Lagos, Nigeria (with 21 million residents) and Cairo, Egypt (with 10 million residents) are experiencing significant temperature increases due to the urban heat island effect and climate change. Meelan Thondoo is a medical anthropologist and environmental epidemiologist who researches the health impacts of climate change in cities of fast-developing countries. She explains what cities in Africa are doing to mitigate climate change, and what further steps they need to take to protect their populations. What health effects of climate change do African cities experience? Currently, 3.3 billion to 3.6 billion people globally live in cities that are highly vulnerable to climate change. Floods pose one of the highest acute risks for climate-related death. It's predicted that they will cause 8.5 million deaths by 2050. Droughts, indirectly linked to extreme heat, are also one of the highest causes of mortality worldwide. They may cause 3.2 million deaths by 2050. Health problems are also triggered indirectly through food-borne and vector-borne diseases, non-communicable illnesses, displacement, and mental health stressors. A growing number of people suffer from waterborne diseases such as cholera and vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever. There are up to 300 million vector-borne disease cases per year. Air pollution is intensified by climate change through fossil fuel combustion. Over 5 million deaths per year are currently caused by fossil fuel pollution. Food and water insecurity from climate-induced disruptions to agricultural production and water sources will worsen malnutrition and related illnesses in many regions of Africa, where at least 86 million people depend on natural and non-processed food resources (food that is sourced from forests or farms rather than highly industrialized food) for a significant part of their diet. What have African cities done to adapt to the changing... |