Smart technologies in enhancing flood resilience in coastal African cities

Abstract

Coastal African cities face growing flood risks due to climate change, rapid urbanization, and inadequate infrastructure. This study examines flood risk and resilience strategies in four representative coastal cities, Accra (Ghana), Cape Town (South Africa), Mombasa (Kenya), and Tunis (Tunisia), and evaluates the role of smart, data-driven technologies within smart city governance frameworks. A purposive case study approach is combined with a descriptive literature review drawing on peer-reviewed articles, policy reports, and technical documents published between 2000 and 2024. The collected literature is analyzed using a comparative thematic approach across key disaster risk management phases, including risk assessment, early warning, preparedness, and governance. Results indicate that while all four cities are adopting smart technologies for flood resilience, their applications vary by institutional capacity and resource availability. Accra emphasizes community-based early warning systems and GIS-supported decision-making; Cape Town demonstrates advanced real-time monitoring and predictive modeling but faces challenges in public engagement; Mombasa is piloting low-cost IoT-based solutions with constraints in data integration; and Tunis is integrating smart technologies into urban planning, though scaling remains limited. Despite these efforts, common barriers persist, including funding limitations, data gaps, and fragmented governance. The study provides comparative insights to support the design of context-specific, technology-enabled flood resilience strategies in African coastal cities.