This is a one-of-a-kind book packed with original research and offering an innovative way of thinking about the reduction of risk in rapidly urbanizing cities across the globe. It is a must-have for professional, researchers and policy makers.The book addresses three inter-related themes: the urban environment; urban governance and urban risk and its reduction. Its focus is on Africa, the most rapidly urbanizing world region, but it illustrates global processes. Part one reviews development, urbanization and disaster risk in Africa as a whole, identifies the state-of-the-art for building urban resilience and provides a tool kit for urban risk reduction. It also presents a powerful conceptual framework to analyze and compare disaster risk and resilience in different cities and communities. Part two presents detailed case studies from Algeria, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa illustrating vulnerability to hazards from earthquake to fire in slums, to environmental health hazards, traffic hazards and flooding.Part three looks to the future and outlines a vision for a safer urban Africa based on achieving gains in human security through inclusive governance.