Foundations for climate-resilient and sustainable growing settlements (U-RES) primary aim is to establish a community of trans-disciplinary experts (beyond academia) working together to provide the underpinning knowledge needed to support the transition from burgeoning settlements to resilient and sustainable cities and megacities in the face of a changing climate in Africa. It is a research consortium funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). U-RES is led by the University of East Anglia in the UK and includes the University of Nairobi; University of Newcastle, UK; Kwa Zulu Natal University, South Africa; OXFAM GB, UK; and Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand.  The specific objectives of the project are to: Identify the most promising locations to nurture resilient cities, given current knowledge about past hazards from archaeological evidence, current urbanisation trends, and future climate risks; review the development and governance approaches in cities that have specifically tried to address the needs of the marginalized, and generate and share insights on processes through which urban governance processes could be improved and; identify information flows at the very early stages of urbanization, including for marginalized groups, and the opportunities to influence urban development. The project aims to produce a 5-year international research and engagement plan focusing on better understanding the intervention points at the early stages of urbanization and the needs of marginalized communities.

Role: Co-investigator

Project Duration: January, 2017 – March, 2018