Urban Flood Resilience in African Cities: Integrating GIS, Community Engagement & Policy for Equitable Solutions - Session Lead: Cherifa Abdelbaki

Urban flooding in African cities is both a climate-induced hazard and a profound equity challenge, disproportionately affecting marginalized urban populations and straining city infrastructure.   This session brings together researchers, policymakers, community actors, and practitioners to co-explore place-based solutions grounded in spatial data, participatory planning, and equitable policy frameworks. We begin with concise insights from transdisciplinary research on urban flood susceptibility mapping using GIS,  remote sensing and new technologies (Machine Learning), demonstrating how high-resolution spatial analytics identify risk hotspots.   Building on this, municipal representatives will share practical lessons from flood mitigation planning and resilience investments in African urban centers. A key emphasis will be placed on meaningful community engagement, ensuring that affected residents articulate local knowledge and co-design adaptation strategies, from early warning systems to nature-based solutions such as urban wetlands and green infrastructure.  Participants will hear perspectives from civil society networks working on grassroots flood response, along with policy insights on harmonizing spatial planning, infrastructure investments, and climate adaptation financing. The session’s interactive component invites audience contributions to develop collaborative next steps and tools for cross-city knowledge exchange.  This session clearly aligns with SRI2026 themes, especially Holistic Solutions (integrating food, energy, water, infrastructure), Collaborative Decision-Making (multi-sector engagement), and Innovative Tools (GIS and data-driven approaches).   By the end, attendees will leave with actionable insights to strengthen urban flood resilience across diverse African contexts.