A decade ago, the South African city of Durban was facing severe water shortages. Dam reservoirs were decreasing at alarming rates, and were 20% lower than average levels. At least one in four residents were already living in water-stressed informal settlements. The city was expanding faster than municipal capacity could keep up with. Service backlogs and proliferating slums seemed to be entrenching poverty.

But by taking a regional approach and investing in participatory processes, Durban has been able to identify, target and mitigate the root causes of its water woes for its three million residents. The city is one of many on the frontlines of the effects of climate change, but also in the right place to lead on climate action that centers resilience.

This is one finding from WRI’s new report, Water Resilience in a Changing Urban Context: Africa's Challenge and Pathways for Action, which highlights the ways in which African cities understand, plan, govern and finance their water systems need to change.