Neglected Spaces or Potential Grounds? Water (In)security and Climate Adaptation in Peri-Urban Asia and Africa

Abstract

This review seeks to bridge the knowledge gap on how peri-urban residents in Asia and Africa adapt to the impacts of urbanization and changing climate on water security. As rural–urban boundaries are rapidly blurring in the global South, “rural” and “urban” lose their significance as binary ways of explaining the vulnerabilities and adaptation measures. Rapid urbanization processes create peri-urban spaces that combine features of rural and urban environments, characterized by weakening access to water resources, depleting common property institutions, and poor civic engagement. This review article presents the persistent marginalization of peri-urban residents from a water security perspective; yet, they do foster adaptation measures to respond to these impacts. We found that the current literature on peri-urban spaces focuses primarily on (1) increased vulnerability of peri-urban agriculture and allied sectors, (2) barriers and enablers to adaptation planning in relation to water security, and (3) justice in peri-urban areas. The study calls for increased attention to softer adaptation measures to enhance water security in peri-urban areas and explores alternative approaches. More specifically, we call for further study of emerging forms of cooperation and collective action, as these measures can aid in reducing conflicts among peri-urban and urban inhabitants in Asia and Africa, and improve water security due to the combined effects of climate change and urbanization. This article is categorized under: Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented Human Water > Water Governance Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change.