Case study: disaster risk management and climate change adaptation in Greater Algiers: overview on a study assessing urban vulnerabilities to disaster risk and proposing measures for adaptation

•Algiers will be increasingly exposed to natural disasters with climate change.•The vulnerability of Algiers will increase despite important prevention measures.•Institutions for risk management of Greater Algiers are not yet fully operational.•Institutional and urban planning actions are the most cost effective measures.

The city of Algiers in Algeria is particularly exposed to disaster risks, and its vulnerability is likely to increase with climate change. In the Wilaya of Algiers, a risk assessment study has been undertaken by the consulting firm Egis EAU in partnership with the Algerian Ministry of Regional Development and Environment. Financed by the French Caisse des Depots, jointly supervised by the World Bank, and hosted by the Center for Mediterranean Integration, the program on cities and climate change is based on a risk methodology, which can be easily customized based on the local context. The study was based on the collection of past studies on recent disasters, aerial photographs and satellite images, digital terrain models, databases as well as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The study area consists mostly of dense residential and industrial spaces. Overall, the study assesses the vulnerabilities of Algiers when dealing with climate change and natural disasters up to 2030, and proposes a set of recommendations to improve risk management capacities of the Wilaya of Algiers.