In this episode, we welcome Dr. Rusca, an expert in environmental and social sciences, to discuss the social-environmental implications of climate change-induced droughts in urban areas of Southern Africa.

Dr. Rusca draws upon the theoretical insights from critical social sciences to build a scenario predicting the impacts of an unprecedented drought in Maputo. This city epitomizes the highly uneven development and differential vulnerability found across urban areas in Southern Africa. She takes us through a comparative analysis, drawing lessons from Cape Town's experience during the 2015-2017 drought, which was locally unprecedented in Southern Africa.

Dr. Rusca elucidates her findings that future droughts in Southern Africa are likely to further polarize urban inequalities, lead to localized public health crises, and undo the progr ...