A report by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), a global coalition dedicated to enhancing the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks, has put the average annual loss of infrastructure, including buildings caused by disasters in Africa, at $12.7 billion.
According to the report, of the damage, 70 per cent is caused by floods followed by earthquakes, which are less frequent but more catastrophic, at about 28 per cent.
The CDRI is a coalition of 59 member countries and organisations, including national governments, international organisations, and businesses collaborating to share knowledge, conduct research, and invest in disaster resilient infrastructure.
“Climate change is expected to increase the impact of disasters on infrastructure by as much as 27 per cent,” the report said, without giving a date. “Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate-related disasters,” it added.
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At a regional level, the worst devastation is in eastern Africa at $5.5 billion, followed by northern Africa at $2.3 billion. The continent’s south suffers damage of approximately $2.3 billion, while $1.58 billion is lost in the west, the report said.
At a country level, the nations with the worst destruction are South Africa at $1.7 billion, Nigeria with $1.1 billion and Algeria at $1 billion, the CDRI explained.
Smaller nations with sparser infrastructure have fewer losses, although the damage more significant is relative to their economies. Average annual loss represents 1.5 per cent of Lesotho’s gross domestic product, 1.25 per cent for Mauritius and 1 per cent for Comoros.
African governments already provide 80 per cent of adaptation financing — 26 per cent through their national budgets and 54 per cent from loans, according to the report.
“Alongside this, the world must increase support for Africa to address the consequences of a changing climate that it did not contribute significantly to,” it added.
The working paper also spotlighted the urgent need to embed resilience into infrastructure planning across the continent to safeguard economies and communities from escalating climate and disaster risks.
Drawing on insights from the Global Infrastructure Risk Model and Resilience Index (GIRI), the paper revealed that despite African governments already doing 80 per cent of adaptation financing, 26 per cent through national budgets and 54 per cent via loans, the scale of the challenge calls for enhanced global cooperation.
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“Africa stands at a pivotal moment, with much of its future infrastructure yet to be built ” said Amit Prothi, Director General of CDRI. “By integrating resilience now, governments and partners can avoid costly disruptions and protect millions of lives and livelihoods,” Prothi added.
To address these challenges, CDRI said it has launched a dedicated Africa Programme to support governments and stakeholders in mainstreaming resilience across both new and existing infrastructure systems.
The initiative, it said also promotes financial resilience strategies that reinforce national budgets, maintenance regimes, and contingency planning.
Currently, nine African countries and the African Union Commission are members of CDRI, it explained.
“Resilience dividends go beyond avoided losses. They foster investor confidence, business continuity, and household security,” said Ede ljjasz-Vasquez, Lead Author of GIR2. “Africa’s development trajectory hinges on making resilience a central investment priority,”ljjasz-Vasquez said.
The working paper marks a significant step in advancing evidence-based strategies to build a safer, more sustainable future for Africa.
