On the front line of climate change: Five cities battling

floods, heat and storms

Part of complete coverage on
By Mairi Mackay, George Webster and Teo Kermeliotis
updated 9:29 AM EDT, Fri June 15, 2012

Lagos:
Engulfed by floods
In July 2011, torrential rainfall and flooding devastated Lagos. Floodwater turned roads into rivers,
burst sewers and destroyed homes. At least 20 people were killed, hundreds displaced and the city's
economy was crippled.
City stats
Source: World Bank and CDP Cities

Sea-level rising
based on future scenario of rapid, fossil-fuel intensive economic growth.

Projection

Source: UNIDO
Rising water threatens to submerge Lagos
Nigeria's commercial capital, with its vast coastline, low-lying topography and dense population is
particularly vulnerable to flooding from rising sea levels, more intense rainfall and increasing
storms.
Impact on slum dwellers
For the two thirds of Lagos's population that live in the city's slums, floods are a fact of life, just like
a lack of clean running water.
When it floods, foul water containing sewage runs into slum homes, sometimes reaching waist
height. Slum dwellers say they repeatedly visit health centers because of sickness after floods,
spending scant money on healthcare. A huge proportion say floods deny them job opportunities or
affect their livelihoods.
A taxing population explosion
Lagos one of Africa's most-populous cities, is a sprawling, chaotic metropolis of close to 12 million
inhabitants, which is growing rapidly.
Lagos raises awareness, battles to adapt
It has a huge population and, according to city officials, accounts for 65% of Nigeria 's commercial
and industrial activities, yet Lagos's GDP lags behind many other more developed cities. Beset by a
ballooning population, vast slums and a lack of infrastructure, authorities are taking some steps to
reduce the sprawling city's vulnerability. Yet, it is often the case that the city's inhabitants have to
solve their own problems.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/14/world/africa/lagos-climate-change-c40/