allan cain - research centre update: the african urban research initiative, nairobi conference...
DESCRIPTION
The theme of The African Urban Research Initiative Nairobi workshop held on the 18th and 19th of February 2014 was, ‘institutional models of knowledge co-production in the African city’. The workshop probed the notion of ‘co-production’ from an African perspective, and to identify the different models and practices of knowledge co-production that exist and are possible in the African context.TRANSCRIPT
Development Workshop Angola
Research Centre Update
African Urban Research Initiative
Nairobi – 18 February 2014
Thematic Focus Areas
1. Participatory Urban Poverty Mapping
2. Informal Traders & Socio-Economic Rights
3. Land Markets & Tenure Rights
4. Housing Finance & (micro-finance)
5. Chinese Financing of African Urbanisation
6. Urban Environments & Climate Adaptation
Current projects
1. Voices of Citizens for Urban Change – in partnership with the Luanda Urban Poverty Network, using participatory poverty monitoring, engaging Municipal Governments and water service providers in evidence-based advocacy for civic rights. Support of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation & Cities Alliance.
2. Water Resource Management under Changing Climate in Angola’s Coastal Settlements – using a combination of participatory mapping, historic archive research and remote sensing (GIS), constructing environmental profile of vulnerable coastal communities. Partnering with Ministry of Environment and National Hydrological Institute with support of IDRC and GEF/UNEP.
Current projects3. Financial Inclusion for the Urban Poor – scoping study on
the access to financial services by the urban poor. Engaging the Angolan National Bank aiming to influence public policy. With support of FinMark Trust & DFID.
4. Socio-Economic Rights for Informal Traders – policy research and advocacy to reinforce legal rights of informal market sellers for maternity, health and pension benefits promised under Angolan law. Targeting Ministries of Social Services and Women’s Promotion. With support from Oxfam-Novib.
5. Legitimizing local tenure practices through incremental recognition – Action research and advocacy on upgrading informal land occupation through municipal regularization. With support from Municipal Government Huambo, Urban LandMark, Cities Alliance, UNHabitat, World Bank & EU.
New Focus Areas of Research
1. Use of Social Media for building civil-society – Municipal Government Urban Forums.
2. Monitoring real-time access to community water services using mobile-phone network for the urban poor – with GSMA International Association & DFID.
3. Africa-China Urban Initiative – on-line portal – with the African Union of Housing Finance & Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa