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Lung health in Africa is of great public health concern. To exchange knowledge, communicate the latest scientific advances in lung health, build the capacity of young researchers, and provide a platform for networking of lung health stakeholders in Africa, the Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), in partnership with the Respiratory Society of Kenya organized and held the 3rd Biennial PATS congress, from June 7–10, 2023 in Mombasa, Kenya. There were a total of 30 conference sessions, which included six skills building workshops, two research dissemination workshops, six plenary sessions, and five each of pediatric, adult, and thoracic surgery symposia. A total of 60 abstracts were presented, including 27 oral abstracts and 33 posters. A wide range of issues for lung health in Africa emerged. These include the emerging role of the environment, especially climate change and global warming, on lung health, the threat posed by the use of tobacco and other nicotine products in Africa, the high burden of lung infections, insecurity of medical oxygen supply systems, and high burden of chronic respiratory disease. In this paper, we summarize the proceedings of this conference and draw lessons that can be used to advance lung health in the African continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to provide an empirical application of the enhanced Regional Tourism Sustainable Adaptation Framework using a case study of Mombasa Kenya. Climate variability is a challenge to tourism destinations, especially coastal and Island destinations, categories under which Mombasa, our study site falls under. Mombasa has limited capacity to adapt to climate change considering its socio economic conditions and weak institutions, thus making it necessary to explore the possible sustainable pathways for the city using the enhanced Regional Tourism Sustainable Adaptation Framework. Earlier frameworks for tourism adaptation to climate change lacked focus on regional dynamics as well as sustainability aspects, and their implementation pose the risk of mal adaptation to some extent. Using secondary data and data from interviews with tourism stakeholders in Mombasa, the enhanced Regional Tourism Sustainable Adaptation Framework guides our assessment of vulnerability and resilience of the destination, as well as identification of region specific adaptation options for the city within the context of sustainable practice. Based on climate change perceived impacts, risks and vulnerability various adaptation options are presented and discussed as provided in literature. The usefulness of the framework in guiding regional tourism destination managers and policy makers in their pursuit for a regional adaptation options within the tourism sector in order to reduce destinations vulnerability, increase resilience and take advantage of opportunities presented by climate change is underscored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides conceptual and methodological guidelines for researchers seeking to undertake an urban participatory climate change adaptation appraisal (PCCAA), illustrated with examples from appraisals in Mombasa (Kenya) and Estelí (Nicaragua). It highlights the importance of hearing local people’s voices regarding incrementally worsening and often unrecorded severe weather. The conceptual framework distinguishes between the analysis of asset vulnerability and the identification of asset-based operational strategies, and sets out a number of methodological principles and practices for undertaking a PCCAA. This PCCAA addressed five main themes: community characteristics; severe weather; vulnerability to severe weather; asset adaptation; and institutions supporting local adaptation. For each of these, it identified potential tools for eliciting information, illustrated by examples from Mombasa and Estelí. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper discusses the risks that the city of Mombasa faces from the direct and indirect impacts of climate change. Mombasa is Kenya's second largest city and has more than 700,000 inhabitants. It is the largest seaport in East Africa, serving not only Kenya but also many landlocked countries and the north of Tanzania. The city has a history of disasters related to climate extremes including floods, which cause serious damage nearly every year and, often, loss of life. The floods in October 2006 were particularly serious, affecting some 60,000 people in the city and the wider province. In addition, around 17 per cent of Mombasa's area could be submerged by a sea-level rise of 0.3 metres, with a larger area rendered uninhabitable or unusable for agriculture because of water logging and salt stress. Tourism is an important part of the city's economy. Thus, sandy beaches, historic and cultural monuments and several hotels, industries and port facilities would be negatively affected. This paper also discusses the measures needed to reduce the vulnerability of Mombasa's population and economic base to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Climate change presents one of the greatest challenges in urban development planning, yet leadership from planning can help society grapple with this challenge. Success in planning is especially important in coastal cities, where urbanization is heavily influenced by the coastline, and development planning processes have to take into consideration the socio-economic as well as ecological reasons why cities were located at the coast. This paper investigates the possibilities of and impediments to an integrated city-level planning framework that is responsive to climate change, using the case of the East African coastal city of Mombasa. It contends that both the principle of subsidiarity as well as the established law give the municipal government the necessary jurisdiction over the baseline issues underlying city management, which through stakeholder engagement, can be leveraged to facilitate an integrated climate change-responsive planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya and the largest international seaport in East Africa, with over 650,000 inhabitants. The city has a history of natural disasters associated with extreme climatic events, most recently, the severe rain-induced flooding in October 2006, which affected about 60,000 people and caused damage to important infrastructure. Because the city is expected to continue to experience rapid growth, the future impacts of such events can only increase. Changes in sea level and storm surges are components of climate change that have the potential to further increase the threats of flooding within the city. This geographic information system-based study provides a first quantitative estimate, both now and through the twenty-first century, of the number of people and associated economic assets potentially exposed to coastal flooding due to sea-level rise and storm surges in Mombasa. The current exposure to a 1 : 100 y extreme water level for the Mombasa district is estimated at 190,000 people and US$470 million in assets. About 60% of this exposure is concentrated in the Mombasa Island division of the city, where about 117,000 people (2005 estimate) live below 10 m elevation. By 2080, exposure could grow to over 380,000 people and US$15 billion in assets, assuming the well-known A1B sea-level and socioeconomic scenario. Future exposure is more sensitive to socioeconomic than climate scenarios. However, there is significant scope within the city limits to steer future development to areas that are not threatened by sea-level rise. Hence, forward planning to focus population and asset growth in less vulnerable areas could be an important part of a strategic response to sea-level rise. The methods used here could be applied more widely to other coastal cities in Africa and elsewhere to better understand present and future exposure and worst-case risks due to climate change and rising sea levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]