Workshop Series on Risk-Informed Urban Development in Western Africa and the ECOWAS Region
Cities in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region are under increasing pressure to manage floods, droughts and other risks stemming from climate change and rapid demographic shifts. Addressing these risks is crucial for sustainable, resilient urban development. At the same time cities face a widening gap, where billions of dollars are required to build resilient infrastructure, but limited access finance prevails. Oftentimes cities do not get ahead due to scarce preparation support for project proposals, complex approvals, or other bankability hurdles.
The Resilience Initiative Africa (RIA) launched the Workshop Series on Risk-Informed Urban Development in Western Africa and the ECOWAS Region – a space for African city practitioners to learn from each other, as well as from other urban actors such as civil society and academia. This cross-border exchange allows sharing practical experiences and solutions to shape more resilient urban futures across the region.
What It's About
The Workshop Series on Risk-Informed Urban Development in Western Africa and the ECOWAS Region, was organised in cooperation with Connective Cities, the African Union Commission (AUC) and ECOWAS and comprised three interconnected on-site workshops held in English and French. The series supported 12 cities from West Africa in preparing bankable project ideas to address the risks faced in their cities. The learning process also strengthened the capacities of the participating urban practitioners in enhancing urban resilience.
During the first workshop in Lomé, Togo, in March 2025 cities were introduced to the topic of Risk-Informed Urban Development and started the design of their project ideas. The second in-person session was held in Accra, Ghana, in July 2025 and focused on participatory risk analyses and project planning. In October 2025, in Dakar, Senegal, cities presented their project pitches, received feedback from financial experts and discussed access to finance for their project proposals.
The workshop series has been a successful learning journey for the participating cities while establishing a new network on urban disaster risk management in the region. Municipal leaders, civil society actors, and technical experts on urban disaster risk management connected and exchanged strong risk management strategies, funding opportunities, and ways to engage with critical decision-makers and the population alike.
In between the face-to-face workshops, an urban development expert supported the participating cities to further develop their project ideas. RIA and Connective Cities furthermore organised online sessions (Insight Sessions) to provide the cities with best-practice knowledge.
Collaboration and Contribution
RIA supports the operationalisation of the African Union Commission’s (AUC) Africa Urban Resilience Programme, which received financial support from the Government of Sweden and the technical support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Workshop Series on Risk-Informed Urban Development in Western Africa and the ECOWAS Region contributes to a broader continental vision. The learning and exchange process of this network of cities in the region reinforces the Africa Urban Resilience Programme (AURP), which calls on regional bodies, national governments, municipalities, and communities to jointly strengthen urban resilience across the continent. By enabling cities to jointly identify priority risks and pilot practical risk-reduction measures, ultimately communities are safer, experience fewer losses, and recover more quickly when disasters strike.
The AUC and ECOWAS played a key role in this series by providing a continental and regional framework and coordination that enable cities to align their efforts, address cross-border risks, and strengthen risk-informed urban development across the regions.
Furthermore, the workshop series encouraged knowledge exchange and cooperation between African cities and their counterparts in Europe and Germany, with the support of the extensive networks of Connective Cities and the Association of German Cities.
Key Highlights
The workshop series:
- Enhanced the capacity of local residents and authorities to understand, reduce and manage urban disaster risks
- Provided a knowledge exchange platform for West African cities aimed at fostering innovative solutions for urban resilience
- Strengthened partnerships with the AUC, ECOWAS, international organisations and civil society following a whole of society approach
- Built connections between African and European cities, promoting peer learning and collaboration
Developed project proposals through peer-to-peer learning based on an integrated and risk-informed approach that combines adaptation with bankable mitigation measures to make projects more sustainable in terms of maintenance financing
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