A comparative SWOT analysis of urban green infrastructure in the Global South

Rapid urbanization, combined with climate change, may exacerbate urban environmental challenges, presenting risks such as flooding, health and safety issues, and environmental degradation. To meet these challenges, as well as other challenges associated with urban development, novel solutions are needed. While Green Infrastructure (GI) is increasingly implemented as a solution in many urban areas, its adoption remains limited in cities of the Global South, despite significant potential. Like most infrastructure, the objective of the design must meet the local needs, which can be highly variable for GI. Additionally, in the implementation of GI it is important to consider the feasibility of implementation, operations and management, and local environment for sustainable and impactful function of these systems. In addition to environmental feasibility, implementation requires financial investment, regulatory frameworks, and institutions to facilitate the adoption of GI. This study conducted a comparative SWOT assessment of GI interventions in three cities within the Global South (Dhaka, Bangladesh; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Johannesburg, South Africa). The results of this study show how the needs, value, and drawbacks of implementing different types of GI vary based on the local context.