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Summary: Motivation: Communities across the global south use their rich indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) to predict weather events and climate hazards. ILK may assist efforts to address climate change challenges in Africa and make subsequent decisions regarding climate adaptation. Purpose: The article documents evidence of the ILK's potential in reducing vulnerability to climate change and/or improving the resilience of communities. The study also reflects on major barriers that hinder the improved mainstreaming of ILK into adaptation strategies. Methods and approach: The present study uses two main methods: a literature review and a presentation of case studies from a sample of African countries where ILK informs adaptation options, including indigenous land‐tenure practices and weather prediction. The selected case studies highlight the historical legacy of ILK and its effectiveness in reducing vulnerability and the impacts of climate change. Findings The results indicate that, despite being acknowledged as a valuable resource for climate adaptation, current national adaptation policies on the African continent still show serious gaps in effectively integrating ILK systems within the legal frameworks to reduce vulnerability. Policy implications: ILK should be better integrated with modern climate change adaptation strategies to anticipate more effective responses. Both rural communities and relevant government agencies should complement the use of ILK with climate change strategies, so as to maximize its contribution to the effective implementation of climate change policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sub-Saharan Africa, mass rural-urban migration negatively affectthe agriculture sector that accounts for about 23% of the GDP and employs over 60% of the population. Together with a rapidly changing climate, unplanned urbanization poses serious threats to Africa's agriculture sector with the risk of chronic food shortages in the future. To stem this tide, it is imperative to systematically assess the unplanned urbanization trend from a socio-economic perspective and distill the broader implication for sustainable urban farming within the context of climate change in the region. The potentials of digitalization as a tool for transformative adaptation to climate change and enabler of sustainable development in different domains, including agriculture, are beginning to emerge. However, most studies are based on data from Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. There is minimal documentation of current applications and prospects of digitalization for sustainable agricultural practices in Africa, particularly in an increasingly urbanized era. Thus, this study addresses this need by evaluating the potentials of digitalization to enable sustainable farming in the face of unprecedented climate change constraints in Africa and minimize the negative impacts of urbanization on agriculture. Through a desk research approach, the present study explores the challenges to digital farming in Africa despite its successful implementation in the global North. Drawing lessons from successful case-studies worldwide, we suggest possible pathways to overcome the challenges and implement localized digitalization approaches to strengthen preventive action against climate risks, enhance disaster preparedness, and aid effective planning and management of agriculture practices. Integrating agriculture into the city via digital urban farming is crucial for long-term food security and creating appealing clean-tech jobs for a large number of new immigrants, thereby supporting African cities' resilience and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions in respect of climate change. As the African continent struggles to adapt to climate change, a variety of measures are being pursued to alleviate the resultant pressures on people, properties and their livelihoods in several African cities. Collectively, they show that climate change adaptation in Africa is not as hopeless as widely claimed, and that there are some promising prospects. The literature shows a deficiency on studies which examine the extent to which climate change adaptation is being pursued in African cities. This paper addresses this need, and outlines some of the most important climate threats (e.g. increasing temperatures, droughts, sea level rise, sea and river flooding) and synergic non-climate factors, as well as recent progress made in respect of implementing climate change adaptation in African cities. Rather than adopt a general description of trends, this research focuses on concrete case studies from six major cities across the central, western, and eastern regions of the African continent (Douala, Lagos City, Dar-es-Salaam, Accra, Addis Ababa and Mombasa). The vulnerability and adaptive capacity status of the studied cities are discussed. Difficulties and challenges encountered in implementing adaptation policies in these areas are also highlighted. Furthermore, some successful examples of climate change adaptation initiatives in the surveyed cities are provided. Finally, the paper outlines some of the policy measures which can be implemented towards strengthening the capacity of African cities to adapt to a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]