Receptivity to the knowledge of others: Building urban climate resilience in Southern African cities

Abstract

This chapter argues that the notion of receptivity, as debated in political philosophy literature, offers a valuable lens through which to improve our understanding of the social negotiations and exercising of expanded judgement and agency that is central to addressing climate risks in cities. Receptivity shifts the focus from producing relevant climate information to engagements between decision-makers and scientists that could modify their judgements through new ways of thinking about the climate sensitivities of urban development, such as water security. The chapter uses the concept of receptivity to explore how engagements were designed and implemented in the Future Resilience for African Cities and Lands (FRACTAL) project, in the cities of Lusaka in Zambia, Maputo in Mozambique, and Windhoek in Namibia. Evidence of the ways in which receptivity was stimulated is presented through five overlapping themes: the creation of safe spaces for engagement; engendering cross-sectoral dialogue in participatory forums; embodied practices and the use of serious games; disrupting conventional assumptions about contentious issues; and expanding time horizons to think about long-term future sustainability. An empirical example of co-developing a set of the Lusaka Policy Briefs integrates these themes.