URBAN ECOLOGY, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND CHALLENGE OF SUSTAINABLE CITIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Abstract

The transformation of the built environment and changes in urban forms has been taking place in conjunction with the increasing awareness of the impact of human activities and the emergence of the concept of sustainability which is now of international significance and concern. The concept of sustainability emerged in urban design literature in the 1970s. The “Brundtland Report” of 1987, brought the concept of sustainability into the mainstream development discourse. Sustainability has become one of the key elements in the analysis of the growth and spatial expansion of contemporary cities; it will be of utmost importance to establish exactly what is not sustainable about the current urban environment and its attendant contradictions. The impact of global warming and the depletion of the Ozone layer are becoming everyday realities. This paper conducts a systematic review of the literature to achieve its aim. This research paper contributes to enhancing both the theoretical and practical understanding of the global trends in sustainability and climate change and how this affects the built environment in Nigeria, aiding in the maximization of benefits and the mitigation of risks.