A new understanding of urban sustainability pathways in Africa

 Kampala : the case study of a recently expanded African metropolitan city

 The research team will conduct its work in Uganda’s largest city, Kampala. As a recently expanded metropolitan, Kampala is bracing for great opportunities as well as great challenges, especially in the context of climate change. The project is designed on the basis of three research pillars. The first will focus on how micro-to-meso scale technologies and policy options can reduce the risk posed by climate extremes. Flooding being one the major risks to the city, measures such as rainwater harvesting, grassed drainages, or cascade drainage design will be explored. The second pillar will focus on energy transitions at household level, looking to synergise local innovative solutions with city-level policy. Methods of tapping energy from organic wastes, including faecal sludge, will be explored through a business model lens that would have co-benefits of integrating poor members of the urban Kampala into the urban economy. The third research pillar will focus on ecosystem enhancement and the assessment of the potential for restoration in the expanded city-region. Options for green urban economy development will also be explored.

 The ultimate objective of the program is to establish a “Centre of Excellence” in urban sustainability with a knowledge hub, a network of researchers, communities and actors who are resilience ready. Dissemination is central to the program. Workshops will regularly be organised to share insights with the aim of getting things moving faster. Kampala being one of the leading African cities in the fight against Climate change, Dr. Shuaib Lwasa’s endeavour to lay the foundations for the development of integrated urban strategies will likely receive widespread attention, not just in Uganda but also at continent level.