Abstract
Cities are a nexus of complex socio-economic, political, and environmental relationships, shaped by the forms of governance employed to provide leadership for them (Heynen et al., 2006 in Mazeka et al, 2022:132). This occurs while cities both grow and transform within national and local development trajectories and urban development frameworks. African cities like Durban (City of eThekwini) continue to experience rapid urbanisation which is undermining their ability to achieve sustainable urban planning and development (Cobbinah & Darwah, 2016; Ellis, 2013; Seto et al., 2012 in Mazeka et al., 2022:133). Especially as the eThekwini Municipality has been shaped by post-apartheid transformation, pro-growth development planning, rapid urbanisation and increasing informality (Freund & Padayachee, 2002; Sutherland et al., 2018 in Mazeka et al., 2022: 138). This research aims at engaging with climate resilience (CR) of the city of eThekwini and the understanding of “resilient cities”. This has become urgent as the April 2022 floods caused loss of lives and livelihood in Durban, South Africa. This research engages primarily with how the City of eThekwini supports its residents who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing floods because of climate change disasters (CCDs). This research sought to understand these experiences and how they affect a broader understanding of “resilient cities”.