Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation in the city of Lagos, Nigeria

Coastal cities worldwide, located in low-lying topography are faced with challenges arising from climate-change-induced events such as sea-level rise, storm surges and coastal erosion, exacerbated by rapid urban growth, lack of awareness, and limited knowledge of flood risks and solutions. This research focuses on Lagos, a Nigerian mega-city already under impact by frequent floods, erosion and storm surges.

The paper uses concepts of vulnerability, resilience, adaptation and adaptive capacity of communities to analyze adaptation strategies. The paper also analyzes the strategies of the coastal cities that results to adaptation, such as New Orleans, Amsterdam and Dhaka in Bangladesh all of which share similar problems with Lagos but are developing interesting solutions in terms of infrastructure, planning, and resilient policy frameworks.

The research uses a mixed-method approach that relies on analysis of peer-reviewed literature and my own knowledge as a planner in Lagos. The work also puts forward solutions aimed at helping improve Lagos?s adaptive capacity and its governmental policy framework, particularly regarding climate change resilience, flooding prevention and erosion solutions.