Climate Cohort funded projects 2023-24
The ACU will fund four innovative climate research to action projects as part of the Climate Research Cohort. Read about them below.
The ACU will fund four innovative climate research to action projects as part of the Climate Research Cohort. Read about them below.
Read more detail about each project through the links below.
Amount awarded (GBP): 39,999.76
Research team: Team members are Dr Feng Mao, Dr Vangelis Pitidis, Dr Temitope Sogbanmu, Dr Parimala Sundaram and Dr Kingsley Orievulu.
Study locations: Ilaje Community (Bariga LCDA) (Lagos, Nigeria); Nelvoi Village, Thallai, Vellore District, (Tamil Nadu, India); and Nomathiya/Isigodi (Hlabisa sub-district) in uMkhanyakude, South Africa.
Project aims: This project uses participatory action research and citizen science to investigate climate change-related water vulnerabilities, understand existing adaptation strategies, and co-create solutions and adaptation plans in rural and semi-urban communities in Nigeria, India, and South Africa.
Stakeholders and methods: Stakeholders involved include a representative from the local government, a public engagement officer, and a local coordinator.
The methodology to be employed in this research project encompasses participatory approaches aimed at engaging communities in addressing climate change-related challenges, particularly those pertaining to water vulnerabilities. Drawing from similar participatory methodologies utilized in previous research scoping phases, this project prioritizes co-creation and collaborative planning with community stakeholders. Key components of the methodology include citizen science, community mapping exercises, multi-stakeholder workshops, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs).
Intended outputs: The following are outputs are anticipated:
Delivery timeframe: September 2024 - March 2025
Amount awarded (GBP): 29,985.9
Research team: Team members are Dr Haruna Jimoh, Dr Chinwe Ogunji, Dr Aidatu Abubakari & Professor Thomas Tanner.
Study locations: The study sites are Somolu and Bariga communities in Lagos, Nigeria. These sites were chosen because of their congruency, high vulnerability to climate change impacts given their low-lying coastal location, exposure to flooding, poor drainage systems and high population density.
Project aims: The primary aim of this project is to investigate how formal planning systems can effectively support innovative, community-led climate change resilience and adaptation strategies within urban informal settlements. By examining these interactions, the project seeks to uncover pathways for integrating grassroots initiatives with established urban planning frameworks.
The objectives of the project include broadening the understanding of locally led strategies for climate resilience in these informal urban areas. Additionally, the project aims to explore how formal city plans can create enabling environments that enhance these community-driven resilience efforts. Finally, the project intends to raise awareness among policymakers about the potential benefits of incorporating locally led innovative strategies into formal urban planning processes.
Stakeholders and methods: The study will use an exploratory sequential mixed method approach. First, separate briefing sessions will be held with different stakeholder groups, followed by a co-creation workshop to refine the research questions. Focus group discussions (FGDs) with residents and policymakers will identify local strategies and their integration with city plans. Quantitative data will be analyzed with Excel and SPSS, while qualitative data will be examined using thematic analysis with MAXQDA 2020 software.
Intended outputs: Anticipated outputs will include policy briefs for the policymakers, experts and planners; flyers to educate the community, datasets for other researchers, blogs for non-scientific communities and article publication in a reputable peer-reviewed journal for the academic community.
Delivery timeframe: September 2024 - March 2025
Amount awarded (GBP): 37,496
Research team: Team members are Dr Aslam Saja, Mr Mohammad Bhuiyan, Dr Praveen Kumar, Professor Thomas Tanner.
Study locations: The study site is The M East ward, located on the northeastern edge of Mumbai, is home to one of the city's most neglected urban areas. This area is surrounded by industrial and commercial zones, including Asia's largest waste disposal site and India's largest slaughterhouse. Approximately 84.9% of the population lives in densely packed informal settlements across 133 hectares, with half of these settlements developing organically without a predefined plan. According to the 2011 Census of India, the population of M East ward was 872,732, with a diverse mix of migrant groups from various Indian states. The area has the lowest effective literacy rate in Mumbai at 83%, and the lowest effective female literacy rate at 78%. The community includes 175,956 people (20.1%) from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
Project aims: The primary aim of this research is to investigate the autonomous adaptation practices by informal settlement communities to cope with environmental change and hazards in order to improve urban climate resilience. The research design involves mixed observational and participatory methods with the informal settlement population, urban planners, governing authorities and development organisations through primary data collection in rapidly urbanizing Mumbai city.
The research aims to understand how informal settlement communities in Mumbai adapt to urban challenges. It will identify barriers between their practices and formal urban planning for resilience. The study includes workshops to share perspectives between policymakers and informal settlers, fostering mutual understanding of adaptation challenges.
Brief description of type of stakeholders engaging and methods adopted: The methodology incorporates a participatory photo-voice exercise with 10 participants from diverse genders and ethnic groups, followed by semi-structured interviews with approximately 40 migrant workers and 10 local authorities to identify the current adaptation measures migrants are undertaking. The photographs captured by participants will serve as stimuli during in-depth follow-up interviews.
We will also conduct participatory focus group discussions (FGDs) with around three groups from diverse gender and ethnic backgrounds, followed by semi-structured interviews. These FGDs will focus on key issues such as adaptation measures, challenges faced by migrants, impacts on livelihoods, and perceptions of urban resilience strategies. Additionally, we will organize perspective-sharing workshops involving informal settlement dwellers, urban policymakers, and development organizations to communicate the results from the photo-voice method, interviews, and FGDs, aiming to formalize successful adaptation practices with policy actors.
Intended outputs:
Delivery timeframe: September 2024 - March 2025
Amount awarded (GBP): 39.933.15
Research team: This project is executed by Saumya Kumar.
Study locations: The study location for this project is India, a country highly vulnerable to climate change but lacking a comprehensive database on climate change litigation (CCL). While the academic focus has been on landmark cases decided by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), many significant cases remain undocumented. This project aims to address this gap by collecting and analyzing a broader range of CCL cases in India to understand their diverse impacts.
Project aims: The project aims to collate both prominent and often-missed court cases related to climate change in India, focusing on understanding their impact on stakeholders' exposure and vulnerability. To achieve this, the project will build a comprehensive CCL database, study the selected cases' impacts, and disseminate findings to stakeholders and the legal education system to enhance legal capacities.
Brief description of type of stakeholders engaging and methods adopted: Project stakeholders include lawyers, judges, researchers, and civil society members who have worked on climate change litigation (CCL) in India. The methodology adopted involves formulating a list of these participants, conducting semi-structured interviews, building a comprehensive CCL database, and analyzing selected cases to assess their impact on stakeholders' exposure and vulnerability, using visual media for effective dissemination of findings.
Intended outputs: Proposed outputs of the research project include:
Delivery timeframe: September 2024 - March 2025