A Quick-Scan Methodology Incorporating Local Knowledge for Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessments Applied in Kampala

Abstract

A surge in publications on climate change vulnerability and risk assessments in recent years reflects the escalating impacts of climate change. These assessments are crucial for improving climate change adaptation planning. City-level integrated climate risk and vulnerability assessments (CRVAs) are increasingly relevant, particularly for African cities facing heightened vulnerability from local climate impacts and urbanization. There are several practical challenges in the context of Sub-Saharan African cities: 1) research capacity limitations; 2) the heterogeneity of settlements and their infrastructure; 3) data availability and accessibility; and 4) inclusion of local knowledge in the data collection process. This study aims to address these challenges through an integrated quick-scan CRVA approach. The methodology was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to be conducted on distance with local partners, and tested through an instrumental case study in Kampala, Uganda. The case of Kampala shows the execution and resulting scan, with mapped districts where climate threats are urgent, summarized in so-called ‘neighbourhood profiles’. The method description and its implementation demonstrate that this form of CRVA methodology holds the potential to: (a) expedite city-wide climate assessments; (b) provide a filter procedure and a classification of diverse needs across districts; (c) bring together ‘insider knowledge’ and ‘outsider expertise’ and (d) establish knowledge collaborations across distances and scales. In just a few months’ time, the project team navigated in both informal community systems and formal institutional frameworks. Preferable to the alternative of complete absence of vulnerability assessments, the described ‘quick-scan method’ may be worthwhile for other African cities.