novafrica@novasbe.pt

Urbanization meets the environment: Can Community-level Technical Assistance Induce Local Adaptation and Protect Against Flooding?

Project Info

Principal Investigators

Stefan Leeffers (UCL)
Jacob Macdonald (University of Sheffield)
Caroline Miehe (Nova SBE)
Pedro Vicente (Nova SBE)

Funding

International Growth Center (IGC)

Project Coordination

Patricia Caetano

Partnership

Municipality of Quelimane

About this Project

The effects of climate-related disasters such as floods are exacerbated in cities due to rapid urbanization and increasing population density, particularly in environments characterized by inadequate city planning and widespread poverty. To help communities manage risks and build resilience, we designed an intervention that provides technical knowledge and small grants to address information and liquidity constraints. Central to this intervention is the organization of community meetings to promote cooperation, mobilize local communities, and facilitate decision-making. This community-driven approach to disaster risk management empowers treated communities to select and implement their own climate adaptation projects. To assess the effects of our intervention in the coastal city of Quelimane, Mozambique, we are conducting a clustered randomized controlled trial. Beyond evaluating the intervention’s overall effectiveness, we will examine underlying mechanisms and test hypotheses regarding its effects on immediate, intermediate, and final outcomes. To measure these, we conduct multiple rounds of surveys with 2,000 households and 500 community leaders, supplemented by data from structured community activities, systematic photographs of the drainage system, and enumerator observations, in order to broaden our pool of objective information.

Contributing to SDGs: