Ecosystem-based Flood Management A comparative study report of the cities of Cape Town and Durban (South Africa), Nairobi and Mombasa (Kenya)

Flooding is a severe threat for urban settlements in cities in the Global South. Increasing urbanization, climate change, poor urban planning and weak implementation of urban plans increase the risk of urban floods. Especially in informal settlements, the impacts are severe. In African cities, the informal settlements characterized by poor dwelling and infrastructure are mostly affected by urban floods. There is a broad range of interventions and measures to reduce flood risk at different scales, which span from grey infrastructure measures to green approaches. Ecosystem-based and nature-based solutions offer measures with multiple benefits for the environment, society and biodiversity.