Rapid, unplanned urban growth across Southern Africa has left vulnerable communities most at risk from extreme weather. A new HSRC paper argues that integrating social equity with disaster risk reduction is key to building fairer, more resilient cities in the SADC region.
Rapid, often unplanned urban growth has deepened inequality and raised disaster risks in many major international cities. This is also true of cities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional organisation in Southern Africa with 16 member states that work together to promote economic integration, political cooperation, peace, and sustainable development.
A Presidential Climate Commission Issue Brief highlighted that makeshift homes, scarce stormwater drains, poor access roads and patchy early-warning systems left urban communities vulnerable to extreme weather during the floods that occurred in 2022 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Flood-affected area of KwaZulu-Natal, 2022. Photo: GovernmentZA, Flickr
These floods resulted in at least 443 deaths, more than 40,000 people being displaced, nearly 4,000 homes destroyed, and about R17 billion in infrastructure damage. “Those within informal settlements (close to rivers, below flood lines, and rural areas, especially on steep hillsides with little or no infrastructure to protect them from the elements) were the hardest hit,” the issue brief stated.
Considering “rising inequalities and escalating disaster risks”, a new HSRC paper set out to identify how social equity and disaster risk reduction (DRR) principles could lead to fairer, more sustainable and more resilient urban futures.
The paper used a literature review, field insights, and case studies to identify how well these principles currently feature in disaster-risk frameworks, which are guidelines – such as the National Disaster Management Framework – on how a city may prevent, prepare for, and respond to natural disasters.
Social inclusivity and DRR
According to the HSRC paper, social inclusivity means ensuring that all people can participate equally in society by removing structural barriers and valuing diverse voices. Socially inclusive infrastructure is the physical expression of this goal, involving the design of public spaces, housing, transport, and services that are safe, accessible, and beneficial for everyone, especially vulnerable groups. DRR principles aim to identify and mitigate harm from disasters, ideally leading to fairer, more sustainable and more resilient urban futures.
Limited community participation
The paper found that while participatory planning was frequently promoted as a way to close equity gaps, participation of marginalised groups in planning processes was often tokenistic, meaning only symbolic or superficial, rather than genuine or meaningful. “The actual implementation of participatory processes can be marred by power imbalances, where more privileged groups dominate discussions, leaving the voices of marginalised groups unheard,” wrote HSRC researchers. “Urban planning processes in the SADC region must prioritise the active involvement of marginalised communities throughout all stages of decision-making.”
Beyond participation, systemic and institutional challenges further hinder equitable and resilient urban planning.
Institutional and resource barriers
Urban governance structures in the SADC region were described as fragmented and poorly coordinated, making it difficult to integrate equity and resilience into planning. Some issues included unwillingness or slowness to change, fragmented governance, limited stakeholder engagement, and resource constraints. These systemic weaknesses limited the capacity of municipalities to take transformative action and left infrastructure projects vulnerable to failure.
The paper recommended integrated approaches that would combine environmental and social goals, where urban planning builds both climate resilience and social resilience. These included strengthening infrastructure and equipping vulnerable populations with resources and education. Key strategies include flood management, water conservation, and disaster preparedness, especially for low-income communities in high-risk areas.
“Fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration to bridge the institutional divide is essential for aligning infrastructure development with the broader goals of social justice, environmental sustainability, and urban resilience,” argued researchers. These structural limitations contribute to persistent inequities in urban development, often undermining the benefits of new infrastructure projects.
Inequities in urban development
Large-scale infrastructure projects often displaced low-income communities, reinforcing longstanding patterns of inequality and segregation. The paper highlighted how, instead of reducing inequalities, development sometimes deepened them, creating uneven access to essential services like housing and transport.
“Urban planners must ensure the equitable distribution of urban development benefits, focusing on access to transportation, housing, and basic services,” wrote researchers. Such disparities underscore the need for stronger integration of social equity and disaster risk reduction in urban planning frameworks.
Gaps in integrating equity and DRR
Although DRR and social equity theories increasingly emphasised equitable and risk-sensitive urban planning, the paper found that practices lagged. DRR measures often failed to account for the vulnerabilities of marginalised groups, and resilience strategies were not effectively embedded. Researchers argued that equity and DRR should not be treated as separate goals but as mutually reinforcing priorities.
Lack of local knowledge integration
“Although local communities often possess valuable insights into their vulnerabilities and capacities, their ideas and knowledge are frequently overlooked during the planning processes,” wrote researchers.
The paper noted that by creating participatory mechanisms, such as co-design workshops, community mapping, and inclusive decision-making forums, planners can use lived experiences to shape infrastructure and resilience measures.
Towards equitable and resilient urban futures
“This research provides more than just a diagnosis; it offers a blueprint for survival,” Dr Wilfred Lunga, a chief research specialist from the HSRC, told the Review. “In a region where the wounds of inequality directly shape the landscape of disaster vulnerability, we can no longer afford to treat social justice and disaster resilience as separate pursuits. Integrating them is not an academic ideal; it is a practical imperative. Our work demonstrates that the most effective early-warning system is an empowered community, and the most resilient infrastructure is built on a foundation of equity. Centring the knowledge and needs of the most vulnerable in our planning, we stop building cities that protect the few from disaster and start building cities that safeguard the future for all.”
Research contacts and acknowledgements
This article was summarised by HSRC’s Jessie-Lee Smith (science writer) with inputs from HSRC’s Dr Wilfred Lunga (chief research specialist). It was based on the paper Socially inclusive infrastructure for disaster risk reduction in urban planning: insights from the SADC region. For more information about this work, contact Lunga at WLunga@hsrc.ac.za.
The survey/project/research team included Dr Wilfred Lunga (chief research specialist), Gcina Malandela (master’s trainee), and Caiphus Baloyi (PhD research trainee) from the HSRC’s Developmental, Capable and Ethical State Division, Jane M. Kaifa and Dr Charles Musarurwa from the Department of Science, Technology & Design Education at Midlands State University, Prof. Tlou Ramoroka from the Department of Development Planning and Management at the University of Limpopo, and Dr Olivia Kunguma from the University of the Free State’s Disaster Management Training Education Centre.
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