Floods, collapsing buildings, and fires are prevalent hazards in Nairobi. While most parts of the city experiences such disasters in different magnitude, Nairobi’s informal settlements (slums) are major frontiers of these hazards, both natural and human risks owing to a number of compounding reasons. For instance, fires are common phenomenon in slums often emerging from various sources including electrical faults (resulting from poor/illegal electrical infrastructure), poor cooking spaces among others. The main goal for the Nairobi Hub is to provide Nairobi with the capacity and policy framework that enables a shift from crisis/emergency response towards integrated urban development and planning for enhanced disaster risk preparedness and management, through policy relevant and transdisciplinary research. The need for such a transition is recognized at the Nairobi city county government level, reflected among others in the Nairobi Disaster Management Act 2019, which is currently under review.
Responsibilities
African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS): The hub is led by ACTS as the coordinating partner – hosting the hub office. ACTS is an independent, not for profit, inter-governmental, and Pan-African development and policy research organization, working to harness applications of science, technology and innovation for accelerated sustainable development in Africa. Founded in ACTS 1988, ACTS remains one of the leading think tanks in Africa with a specific mandate to conduct research and policy analysis; to provide technical advisory services; and to undertake capacity building and dissemination of knowledge on applications of science, technology and innovation for sustainable development. Within its mandate, ACTS works on various timely research projects hosted within a variety of timely and contextually relevant programmes: Climate Resilient Economies (CRE), and STI for development and Agriculture and food security. ACTS has established itself as a centre for excellence informing green growth and sustainable development in Africa and internationally. In 2016, ACTS was ranked among the top 3 think tanks in climate change, resilience research and policy influence globally - an improvement in relation to the think tanks ranking in the past. The ranking, an authoritative and worldwide known assessment of the most cutting-edge institutions working in the field of climate change economics and policy, by the International Centre for Climate Governance (ICCG) under the “ICCG Climate Think Tank Ranking Initiative is based on organizational activities, publications and dissemination.. The 2016 ranking assessed 244 think tanks specialized in the research fields of climate change and climate policy.
University of Nairobi: The University of Nairobi will co-lead a number of research activities under risk modelling and community resilience planning. The Centre for Urban Research and Innovation (CURI), is a centre of excellence on urban research, and is part of a consortia formed to help plan Mukuru. CURI has continued to participate in many community-based initiatives such as informal settlements upgrading, Community Fire Response Mechanisms, Urban Learning Studios, Sustainable Urban Mobility, Land and Natural resources tenure security, Urban Development Control Policy, and Unlocking Poverty and upscaling the Respect for Rights in Informal Settlements. Other departments – Geography & Geology – will bring in key experts in physical hazards research. Further the University, is help strengthen our impact strategy through anchoring capacity building strategies, multi-hazard courses and executive trainings among others.
Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI): KDI is a non-profit design and community development organization registered as a Non-Governmental Organization in Kenya since 2013. KDI partners with underserved communities to physically transform communities and in the process, improve environmental, economic and social quality of life.
Nairobi’s City-County Government: The City-County government is the primary authority charged with providing public services and mandated to develop the City Disaster Management Plan. The Nairobi city-county government will be the lead impact partner for the hub, and will co-host the community of practice meetings with partners.
Slum Dwellers International (SDI) Kenya: A key support NGO for Nairobi’s federation of urban poor groups (Muungano wa Wanavijiji), a partner in the Mukuru Spatial Planning Area (SPA) consortium, and an affiliate of Shack/Slum Dwellers International. SDI Kenya, is the non-profit technical and professional secretariat for the federation of Kenyan slum residents known as Muungano Wa Wanavijiji. SDI Kenya is part of the Kenyan alliance (with Akiba Mashinani Trust Muungano waWanavijiji), that is charged with coordination, community organization and communication. As part of SDI, the Akiba Mashinani Trust is also involved to support linkages with the Spatial Planning Area.
UK-based partners: to support research, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), as well as management and leadership. These include experts from the Kings College London, University of Sussex- Institute of Development Studies, University of Edinburgh, University of Leeds, and the UK Met Office. Various physical and social scientists from these Universities have been integrated to support various research work packages taking place in the City. Other indirect partners include the Mukuru Community and a Community of Practice to be structured - who will be instrumental in the pathway to impact.
Global partners: the Risk Nexus Initiative (RNI), which has networks in Costa Rica, Spain, South America and India.
Job Requirements
Required education
: Post-graduate education
Required relevant work experience
: 2 years
Required languages:
English (Spoken: fluent | Written: fluent)
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