African cities sound alarm on climate and housing at Baku urban forum

Published on

26/05/2026 - 14:12 GMT+2

African cities are running out of time. Climate change, rapid urbanisation and chronic housing shortages are converging on a continent where governments lack the finances to respond at scale — and officials gathering at the World Urban Forum in Baku say the old funding models are no longer enough.

The 13th edition of the forum, WUF13, brought together African policymakers who are increasingly treating housing not as a welfare issue but as a core economic and infrastructure challenge, bound up with climate adaptation, migration and post-conflict recovery.

Angola's Minister of Public Works, Urban Planning and Housing, Carlos Alberto Gregório dos Santos, said his country is directing around 7.5% of gross domestic product toward the residential sector — one of its largest areas of public investment.