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< Back Digitizing Aguda/Afro Brazilian architecture heritage of Porto-Novo Benin through LIDAR scanning & social participation H. Killion Mokwete This study explores the use of LIDAR scanning and community engagement in the digital documentation of Aguda/Afro Brazilian architecture in Benin, as a vital component of the preservation of historically significant structures that face imminent demolition. Researchers from Northeastern University are working together on the project with local research partners from The African Heritage School-EPA in Porto-Novo. A small but significant digital database is developing as a result of several field studies, oral interviews, and digital scanning processes. This digital database is an essential component of a proof of concept pilot project that aims to create region-wide digital documentation and will involve collaborating with students and other local researchers to identify, catalog, and conserve Africa’s local building heritage. This pilot project is envisaged as a test case for potential expansion to other cultural regions with similar heritage buildings such as Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire where local partnerships are being developed. Digital tools and social participation are key to preserving postcolonial architectural heritage in Benin According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the African continent has some 98 designated World Heritage Sites (cultural) and more than half of these can be found in 35 Sub-Saharan African countries. However, many of these sites in Africa (a total number of 93, in 2018) are placed on the List of World Heritage in danger due to threats from extractive processes (mineral and oil exploration), armed conflict, acts of terrorism, climate change, poaching, and uncontrolled rural and urban expansions. Grande Mosque, Porto-Novo, Benin, by odysseesdarchitectures Most heritage buildings in Sub-Saharan Africa can be organized in three categories: pre-colonization (traditional), colonial and post-colonial. These eras provide a base socio economic and historical context which marks events and activities that shaped the urban morphology, geo-social landscape of much of the Africa continent and that of the global South. Traditional era of Sub-Saharan African building heritage can be defined as the period during which feudal African tribes and regions self-ruled and built varying vernacular structures dictated by socio economic status and means of production for each cultural region. The Colonial era in Africa can be defined as the period between the first colonization of an Africa Kingdom by the Dutch in the 16th Century when they colonized parts of the cultural regions of the modern day Ghana (Gold Coast). The colonization period saw the partitioning of African cultural regions into territorial boundaries defined by colonizers interests and colonial structures. The introduced colonial building typologies and urban morphology of urban centers included religions such as churches & cathedrals, trading centers, castles etc. The Post-Colonial era can be defined as the period after decolonization and independence of Sub-Saharan African countries. During this period, independence governmental buildings and other structures were built to signify new beginnings and future aspirations. The Great Mosque of Djenne, Part of Africa’s remaining building heritage that is a UNESCO Protected heritage site photo by zibaloo In this essay, we use culturally-significant sites in the West African nation of Benin as a case study to examine the ways in which digital tools, digital archiving platforms and local social participation may be leveraged to preserve cultural heritage building sites in African postcolonial societies. The focus is on the on the architectural heritage (between traditional and colonial) of the Aguda people and investigate the new ways of leveraging technology towards building heritage preservation, education and local empowerment through social participation. The Aguda of the Bight of Benin is a community composed the descendants of the Portuguese traders who settled in the region in the 1700s; the descendants of the Brazilian traders who came soon after; and the descendants of the retornados, i.e., former slaves who settled in this area upon their return from Brazil. The retornados, researchers put their numbers at anywhere from 3,000 to 8,000 were originally from a vast sub-region of western Africa, but upon their return, they settled mainly on the coast between Lagos, Nigeria and Anehó, Togo. Afro-Brazilian architecture in Porto-Novo reflects Aguda influence, yet faces neglect, limited preservation efforts, and climate threats. The Aguda’s influence in Benin’s urban morphology is best found in the City of Porto-Novo, where new typology of building style based on villa & manor designs of Brazil was mixed in with local vernacular to create a style popularly known as the Afro-Brazilian architecture style. This style is exemplified by building on generally two floors, with regular shapes, large verandahs on both sides of buildings with arcades, bays decorated with rich roman-like lintels and usually wooden shutters. The Afro-Brazilians returnees constituted artisans, cabinet makers, bricklayer’s/master builders, tailors, traders, carpenters and other trade skills. In 1897 in Lagos, there were 96 males registered with 6 cabinet makers, 11 bricklayers and builders, builders and master builders, 9 tailors and 21 carpenters, 24 traders and 17 clerks. 23 percent of the Afro-Brazilian populations were carpenters. Carpentry and bricklaying remain the main occupation of some of the Brazilian returnees. Afro- Brazilian houses are in a state of disrepair and suffer from neglect. The necessity for conservation and the salience of cultural heritage is mainly advocated by architects with limited resources towards rehabilitation and preservation. Typical private residence Afro-Brazilian (Sobrados) features two storey dwelling with clay ornate facades, decorated windows, balconies & doors with clay molding, breezeways (open source) Although some steps are being taken to protect heritage sites, Heritage protection in Porto-Novo, with a great successful example of the rehabilitation of the Vodoun sites across Porto-Novo by The Ouadada Cultural Centre) there is still not sufficient resources to undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation of all sites. The lack of resources organizations and advocacy towards building heritage also presents a diminishing role of local community in participating in defining their heritage assets and therefore loss of continuity across generation’s institutional memory. Furthermore, limited legal frameworks such laws towards heritage preservation for pre-development impact assessments make it easy for developers to prefer demolishing without any prior assessments. Benin, like most Sub-Saharan African countries, lacks accessible digitized databases and archive institutions with more African heritage archives being held in foreign institutions such as European, American and Australian universities and museums. The current work being undertaken by the (École du Patrimoine Africain (African Heritage School) lacks scaling opportunities and funding partnerships. Climate change impacts such as higher temperatures, worsening floods, threaten to condemn some African landmarks. There is no comprehensive data on the total number of African heritage spots at risk, but research co-led by Simpson on coastal sites found that 56 locations are already facing flooding and erosion exacerbated by rising sea levels. In Benin, the Aguda architecture buildings due to the material nature are quickly deteriorating due to heavy rains and flooding amongst others. A collaborative digital platform will preserve Benin’s architectural heritage by combining technology, local knowledge, and global partnerships The project’s conceptual framework for this research is centered on what is described by The Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Council of Europe 2005) as ‘Heritage Community’ defined as “cultural heritage is a group of resources inherited from the past which people identify, independently of ownership, as a reflection and expression of their constantly evolving values, beliefs, knowledge and traditions. It includes all the aspects of the environment resulting from the interaction between people and places through time” . This new way of looking at heritage lays the foundations for redesigning relations between all the involved stakeholders. The proposed model for this project centers a partnership between researchers (local and international) and local community knowledge custodians through a social participation framework and leveraging technological tools towards documentation and curating of local building heritage physical and non physical cultural memory. By building on this collaborative platform framework, this research will leverage the following technologies and approaches: Modern 3D capture through LiDAR scanning and photogrammetry technology will be used to document the existing condition of heritage buildings and to create digital blueprints, enabling planners to prioritize preservation activities and furthering opportunities for future building renovations and reuse. Through centering community participation and storytelling, this research will activate community members’ role in celebrating unique cultural heritage embedded in their local built environment and defining and curating personalized building heritage narratives. Leica’s BLK360 Tripod LIDAR Scanner, BLK2FLY drone scanner, Infrared Temperature visualization, Onset Data loggers (Temperature & Humidity)Leica’s BLK360 Tripod LIDAR Scanner, BLK2FLY drone scanner, Infrared Temperature visualization, Onset Data loggers (Temperature & Humidity) By creating a locally hosted and searchable database of heritage buildings, this research will start the first-ever platform for an architectural heritage archive serving Benin and other sub-Saharan African countries. Creating three-dimensional digital models will enable community-based education and academic research opportunities focused on vernacular building methods, offering opportunities for virtual experiential connection, with focused outreach to the global African diaspora community seeking to connect and learn about African heritage. This innovative and interactive platform will be made accessible to local university partners (École du Patrimoine Africain (African Heritage School), who in turn will benefit from new opportunities for technical and socio-cultural teaching and research. The proposed platform will be based on a collaborative model, developed in partnership with local communities who are custodians of culturally significant architectural artifacts. Models, historical records, and local narratives about heritage sites can be shared with diverse local community members, leveraging local press, libraries, and municipal archives. There is a critical need for coordination and technical support from Northeastern University, where researchers and students will serve as partners with community-based organizations, bringing innovative tools for creating a multimedia digital archive, technical expertise, and cross-regional coordination to create and maintain the platform and to carry out ongoing research on traditional building practices and the cultural, historical, and technological significance of diverse architectural resources. A digital platform will document and preserve endangered heritage sites in Porto-Novo, Benin, using multimedia tools and local engagement The proposed digital platform will document heritage sites across sub-Saharan Africa using multimedia tools such as computer-aided drawings (CAD), photographic documentation, written narratives, audio storytelling, hand drawings, models, and other media. It will engage local communities by building their capacity to collect, preserve, and assess the social value of their built environment, fostering sustained participation in preservation activities. Additionally, the platform will serve as an educational resource, providing access to archival data on cultural heritage sites for researchers, educators, community planners, and citizens both locally and internationally. A proposal for a pilot project acting as a proof of concept for the broader research will be based in Benin, in the City of Porto-Novo in Benin and will analyze and document the cultural heritage building which is endangered through urbanization, neglect, climate change and other socio economic threats. Collaborating team: Dr. Franck Komlan Ogou, Dr. Jessica Parr,Dr. Patricia Davis, Bahare Sonaie-Movahed Previous Next

< Back Le fonds rotatif : un outil communautaire de cofinancement pour le développement des villes Pauline Leporcq, Bénédicte Hinschberger, Bea Varnai Le fonds rotatif pour la rénovation urbaine est un mécanisme de financement solidaire et inclusif, créé dans l’objectif d’apporter des réponses à un double défi : les revenus limités et l’exclusion bancaire des populations vulnérables des villes sénégalaises d’une part, et d’autre part le déficit d’infrastructures urbaines résilientes, d’habitat digne et d’accès aux services essentiels auquel elles sont confrontées. Cet outil de financement - porté par la FSH et son ONG d’appui technique, urbaSEN - s’inspire de la tontine, caisse d’épargne solidaire traditionnelle, dans laquelle cotise un groupe de personnes issues le plus souvent du même quartier. Les montants épargnés sont confiés à tour de rôle à chacun des membres du groupe, permettant d’améliorer l’économie familiale ou de réaliser des projets spécifiques. Le remboursement des moyens financiers mis à disposition se fait selon les modalités accordés par le groupe. En focalisant ce mécanisme sur les besoins liés à l’habitat et au cadre de vie, le fonds rotatif permet depuis 2015 aux populations vulnérables de bénéficier de prêts pour la réhabilitation de leurs logements et de co-financer des aménagements urbains. Le fonds est géré par la Fédération Sénégalaise des Habitants (FSH), réunissant des groupements d’épargne communautaire qui portent des projets de sensibilisation, de communication et de formation sur le droit au logement et à l’amélioration du cadre de vie depuis 2014. Aujourd’hui, la FSH se déploie dans toute la banlieue de Dakar, dans les régions de Thiès (2019), Louga (2019), Ziguinchor (2022) et de Fatick (2024) et réunit près de 18 000 membres. Le fonds rotatif autonomise les municipalités et les habitants du Sénégal, favorise la collaboration et améliore l'accès au financement pour le développement local La commune de Djiddah Thiaroye Kao située dans la banlieue de Dakar est composée majoritairement de quartiers spontanés et abrite plus de 160 000 habitants. L’habitat y est principalement auto-construit de manière incrémentale, le plus souvent avec des matériaux de faible qualité et une absence d’encadrement de professionnels qualifiés. Étant l’une des plus densément peuplée du pays, la commune fait face à de nombreux défis sociaux, économiques et environnementaux. Le déficit d’infrastructures d’eau et d’assainissement conduit à des problèmes de santé, aggravés par de fortes inondations. Sensibilisation avec un groupe sénégalais, Bénédicte Hinschberger 2022 Dans le contexte d’inondations particulièrement dévastatrices de la fin des années 2000, les habitants s’organisent pour apporter des solutions aux problématiques liées à l’habitat et au cadre de vie. Cette dynamique, appuyée par des professionnels issus de l'aménagement, la mobilisation sociale et la planification urbaine, permet d’engager le processus de restructuration urbaine de la commune, et donne naissance à la Fédération Sénégalaise des Habitants en 2014. Dès le début, une attention particulière est portée à l’accès au financement pour réaliser des aménagements, ouvrages et activités de renforcement pour les membres de la Fédération. C’est ce qui amènera à la création du fonds rotatif. A la même période (2013), l’Etat sénégalais lance l’Acte III de la décentralisation, qui délègue aux communes la gestion, l’organisation et la planification de leurs territoires. Mais ce transfert de compétences ne s’accompagne pas des moyens nécessaires pour organiser techniquement et financièrement la structuration des services communaux. Déjà en grandes difficultés, les communes peinent à mettre en œuvre l’Acte III, et donc à offrir aux habitants des services et des infrastructures de qualité dont ils ont grandement besoin pour améliorer leur cadre de vie. Les ressources financières des communes proviennent principalement des fonds de l’Etat (fonds d’équipement des collectivités locales, et fonds de dotation) disponibles auprès du Trésor Public. Cependant, leur gestion est collective pour l’ensemble des communes, ce qui rend très inégale l'accès aux ressources et complique le processus de décaissement des sommes préalablement budgétisées par les communes. De fait, la réactivité et la capacité d'agir des communes pour répondre aux besoins des populations locales sont limitées. Les ressources communales sont également alimentées par différentes taxes, mais ceci reste de l’ordre du résiduel et ne permet pas d’assurer une bonne gestion organisationnelle interne de la commune avec un budget prévisionnel annuel structuré et le recrutement de ressources humaines sur le long terme. Ainsi, le développement du fonds rotatif s’inscrit dans le contexte général de précarité financière des communes sénégalaises et du difficile accès des populations vulnérables aux outils de financement traditionnels. Il démontre la pertinence d’outils de financement citoyen accessibles au plus grand nombre, pour pallier la difficulté à mobiliser des ressources publiques locales, résultat d’un cadre juridique et institutionnel inadapté aux besoins réels des autorités locales et de leurs habitants. Le fonds constitue ainsi un vecteur de collaboration entre les habitants et les communes à travers la mobilisation d'un apport financier des habitants aux projets locaux. Il contribue ainsi à légitimer leur place dans la définition et la mise en œuvre de projets d'aménagements et de quartiers. Le fonds rotatif au Sénégal permet la réhabilitation des logements et des infrastructures par la communauté, améliorant la collaboration locale et les projets de développement cofinancés Le mécanisme du fonds rotatif est adossé à un dispositif d’accompagnement technique qui garantit la qualité des travaux et sa bonne utilisation : des technicien.nes réalisent un diagnostic du logement/du quartier/des ouvrages à rénover et accompagnent le ménage dans le choix des artisans et le suivi des travaux à l’échelle de la parcelle et du quartier. En effet, le fonds permet de financer la réhabilitation de l’habitat, le développement d’activités génératrices de revenus (AGR) par les groupes d’habitant.es, et la co-conception et co-construction d’ouvrages semi-collectifs d’eau et d’assainissement (puisards partagés entre quelques familles, branchements AEP) et d’aménagements publics de plus grande ampleur (drains, regards, pavages drainants, bassins, tampons, espaces verts et d'infiltration des eaux de pluie, etc.) A l’échelle de la commune de DTK qui compte plus de 100 groupements membres de la FSH, soit environ 3 000 personnes fédérées, ce dispositif a permis la réhabilitation de 408 maisons et une cinquantaine de chantiers sont encore en cours auprès de différents bénéficiaires. De plus, à l’échelle du quartier, plusieurs ouvrages ont été réalisés dans une approche de co-conception entre les différentes parties prenantes (élus, points focaux de la commune, Office National de l’Assainissement (ONAS), techniciens, habitants). Au total - 3 arrêtoirs d’eau, 6 déversoirs raccordés au réseau existant, 445 mètres de canalisation, 6 regards circulaires, un caniveau superficiel muni d’un pavage drainant raccordé au système de drainage existant - ont été réalisés. Le total du budget des travaux de 35 605 962 CFA a été cofinancé par la commune (50 %), les habitants (5 %) et subventionné par le projet (45 %). Dans tout le Sénégal, ce sont plus de 1 000 maisons qui ont été réhabilitées, et près de 300 ouvrages communautaires. Le fonds rotatif autonomise les résidents, favorise le développement urbain participatif et inspire des initiatives similaires à travers l'Afrique de l'Ouest, renforçant la résilience et la collaboration Les ouvrages collectifs co-conçus et co-financés par les habitant.es traduisent concrètement dans l’espace public la portée du fonds rotatif en tant qu’outil de renforcement du pouvoir d’agir des habitant.es . Grâce à leur apport financier, ces dernier.es ne sont plus seulement bénéficiaires d’infrastructures réalisées par d’autres groupes d’acteurs, mais au cœur des processus de décision qui les définissent et les produisent. Les habitants participent au dialogue territorial qui permet de faire évoluer positivement et durablement la situation locale et les conditions de vie par un meilleur niveau d’équipement. De plus, la participation financière des habitant.es motive leur contribution à la bonne gestion et à la maintenance des ouvrages. Des modalités de gestion spécifiques sont ainsi définies pour chaque type d’ouvrage, impliquant les groupes d’habitants de la zone et visant à garantir leur pérennité. Bénéficiaire de la FSH Sénégal 2022 Crédit Equipe média urbaSEN Ces ouvrages mis en œuvre de manière participative sont le résultat d’une démarche intégrée - sociale, environnementale et financière - qui garantit leur réplicabilité à long terme. Celle-ci est accentuée par les activités de formation des artisans locaux qui sont mises en œuvre en lien avec les projets. Ces formations contribuent à une meilleure structuration du tissu économique local et à une amélioration de la qualité des ouvrages et des logements réalisés. Articulées à d’autres moyens de lutte contre les inondations (sensibilisation, messages d’information avant les pluies, réalisation d’ouvrages structurants de drainage par les acteurs publics), elles contribuent à augmenter effectivement la résilience des quartiers face au risque climatique. Récemment, cet outil de financement a inspiré d’autres fédérations d’habitants organisées dans la sous-région ouest-africaine. Des mécanismes similaires ont été développés au Burkina Faso (2021) et en Guinée Bissau (2023) et se déclinent selon les besoins et réalités locales. Actuellement, les représentants des fédérations de ces différents pays portent la volonté de se réunir en confédération sous-régionale avec leurs voisins afin de partager des savoirs, des outils et des méthodes innovantes de construction et de financement de la ville. Le fonds rotatif améliore les conditions de vie au Sénégal, en favorisant la finance communautaire et en favorisant la transparence entre les résidents et les autorités locales Par l’amélioration des conditions de vie d’environ 150 000 habitants du Sénégal, et 1 milliards de francs CFA de prêts accordés depuis 2015, le fonds rotatif a démontré sa pertinence en tant qu’outil financier pour l’amélioration du cadre de vie des populations défavorisées. Le portage “habitant” de l’outil et sa reconnaissance par les autorités locales assurent une appropriation forte et une démultiplication de son envergure grâce à la sensibilisation des habitants et la formation des communes dans l’élaboration de budgets participatifs pour appuyer ces dynamiques. L’ensemble de ces innovations renforcent la transparence et la confiance entre les acteurs publics locaux et les populations. Ainsi, le fonds rotatif s’inscrit comme un outil stratégique de plaidoyer pour la reconnaissance de la finance communautaire par les acteurs publics et les bailleurs internationaux et le renforcement de l’inclusion financière des populations. Previous Next

< Back Urban-Rural linkages at the center of urban policy agenda in Africa Grace GITHIRI, Inès Diurtionnel NGOUANOM, Antonio KIPYEGON Urban-rural linkages in Africa are a significant challenge, with rapid urbanization and rural-urban migration putting pressure on urban and peri-urban areas. UN-Habitat and partners implemented the "Leaving no space behind: strengthening urban-rural Linkages (URL) in Africa" project in four countries: Cameroon, Guinea, Nigeria (Niger State), and Tanzania (Zanzibar). The project aimed to enhance the capacities of policymakers and change agents at all levels to collect and use evidence for fostering cross-sectoral, multi-level frameworks, strategies, and action plans for integrated and inclusive territorial development. The project involved the development of context-specific normative toolkits, capacity-building sessions, technical dialogues, and advisory services to stakeholders. The project also provided an overall framework for the review of the National Urban Policy (NUP) for each country and in the data collection process at a local level. The project aimed to strengthen the synergies between urban and rural communities and spaces, promoting integrated territorial development and achieving global goals. Traditional approaches to planning and development viewed urban and rural areas as two separate entities creating a dichotomy between the two. In reality, the boundary between urban and rural areas is diffused, and the two are intertwined and connected in a functioning system of linkages that sustains the interactions between them. While urban growth might bring prosperity to many urban regions, the urban dividend is often not shared across the territory. In some countries, small and intermediary cities, which are a crucial link for integrated territorial development, find it difficult to define their roles in the contemporary economy; hence adversely suffering from uncontrolled growth, poverty, lower incomes, high youth unemployment rates, inward migration from rural areas and outmigration of mainly young and skilled. To address these urban-rural linkages challenges in the African context, UN-Habitat and partners implemented, the project “Leaving no space behind: strengthening urban-rural Linkages (URL) in Africa” in four countries: Cameroon, Guinea, Nigeria (Niger State), and Tanzania (Zanzibar) Funded by the United Nations Development Account this project supported the four countries to enhance their urban-rural linkages and bridge the urban-rural divide by enhancing the capacities of policymakers and change agents at all levels to collect and use evidence for fostering cross-sectoral, multi-level frameworks, strategies, and action plans for integrated and inclusive territorial development. Ensuring the entire project cycle was inclusive and participatory, UN-Habitat employed several delivery methods, including the development of context-specific normative toolkits and guides, national and subnational capacity-building sessions, technical dialogues as well as advisory services to a wide array of stakeholders, including government officials, academia, civil society and women and youth groups. The project implementation involved the creation of awareness along with capacity-building activities on the significance of strengthening URL. Through the awareness-raising activities, the countries were also able to define their priorities or key pressing issues towards functional and inclusive URL at the national and local levels. This was to provide an overall framework for the review of the National Urban Policy (NUP) for each country and in the data collection process at a local level respectively. In Africa, the urban-rural divide is a reality that participating countries must address. To be specific, rapid urbanization, due to rural-urban migration is placing enormous pressure on urban and peri-urban areas, including intermediary cities. Large cities and metropolitan areas are already experiencing urban sprawl and expanding their border to peri-urban areas, surrounding rural areas, and hinterlands. When expanding in such an unplanned manner, cities consume valuable (close by) agricultural land (in some cases) which could in turn affect food security and food systems in general. Similarly, fragile ecosystems are being transformed into urban land uses, impacting ecological resources such as waterways, fisheries, and forests. The 2017 report of the UN Economic Commission on Africa on “Urbanization and Industrialization for Africa’s Transformation” states that Africa's least urbanized countries are urbanizing fastest due to rural-urban migration, a phenomenon which still remains even as countries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, unlike global trends, the urban-rural disparities in Africa do not seem to narrow with increasing urbanization. Low connectivity and insufficient infrastructure in rural areas widen these inequalities between urban and rural areas and since economic investment is often low, job opportunities remain few. The 2017 report of the UN Economic Commission on Africa states that “management of the rural-urban transition in a way that promotes equity is one of the major challenges facing policymakers in most African countries.” The situation in the project countries is no different, for example in Cameroon, rural-urban migration was defined as the main cause of urban sprawl. The reasons for migration as described above, specifically the search for better opportunities due to urban and rural disparities and inadequate infrastructural development. In Niger State, Nigeria, the inefficiencies of infrastructure, leading to a declining local economy, is one of the main contributors to poverty among rural populations. Connecting food producers to urban markets and enhancing the flows of goods, products, and information would improve the lives of the rural dwellers, and also promote urban food security. In Guinea Conakry, the poor connectivity of physical infrastructure, information transfer, and social connectivity cause a major development gap between rural and urban areas. The case in Zanzibar, Tanzania is no different; the poorest and least developed, low literacy levels and access to health care among other challenges being experienced, in rural areas. Faced with these challenges, the call to strengthen the synergies between urban and rural communities and spaces is pivotal towards integrated territorial development and achieving global goals. The project thus provided for the countries to define their priorities, gather data, review policy, and make recommendations for policy enhancements. UN-Habitat implemented the project using several delivery methods to ensure an inclusive, effective, and participatory approach. These include the development of innovative, contextspecific normative tools and guides, capacity development sessions as well as technical dialogues and advisory services. UN-Habitat coordinated activities at the regional level and offered normative tools for adoption in the country's contexts. The main activities in the field were over ten capacitybuilding workshops, data collection exercises at different locations, policy reviews, and recommendations for enhancing the policy frameworks in the lens of urbanrural linkages. One unique aspect of the project is that it integrated inputs from technical experts and local communities or stakeholders to inform the policy review and recommendation process. Approximately 2500 people were engaged during the implementation of this project. The project not only gathered inputs for policies but the stakeholders involved had their capacities strengthened which will be replicated to others and in their daily work on urban-rural linkages. Data collection was also collected using digital tools such as Kobocollect which made data collection, analysis, and presentation quicker and relatively more accurate. The digital tool was not only innovative but also minimized the use of paper contributing to environmental conservation. The capacity-building workshops and related activities were also hybrid; both physical and online especially during COVID-19 restrictions allowing for continuity of project activities. In Cameroon, the project began by bringing together a country team which was composed of over 20 people from different sectors. They defined three priority issues that would be key in addressing urban-rural disparities. They are: improving road and transportation infrastructure; telecommunications infrastructures; Partnerships and financial services. Along with the definition of priorities, UN-Habitat worked with stakeholders such as government officials, civil society, and academia, to develop a report on the general challenges and state of urban-rural linkages in Cameroon. Similarly over thirteen policies, laws, and strategies were reviewed on the nature and extent to which they had addressed urban-rural linkages. The other related activities were data collection and six workshops on awareness, capacity building, and validation of project outcomes. In Zanzibar, Tanzania, the multi-stakeholder country team defined three priorities for strengthened urbanrural linkages. The priorities were: food security, social services, and infrastructural services. A URL situational report comprising the challenges and opportunities was developed, with the contribution of all stakeholders. Over 20 policies and strategies were also reviewed guiding the recommendations thereof. Data collection of both secondary and primary sources was conducted in the selected sites, including farms, marketplaces, and from community groups. To further enhance inclusivity and participation from all the five regions of Zanzibar, up to five workshops in the five regions were conducted to raise awareness on URL, enhance the participant's capacity as well as validate the project outcomes, attended by over 100 diverse participants. In Niger State, Nigeria, the project was implemented under the umbrella of the Niger State Urban Support Programme, which consisted of urban-rural linkages, state urban policy, and integrated development planning. The strengthening urban-rural linkages component was then integrated as a chapter in the Niger State urban policy, which was approved by the State Executive Council in June 2021, A multi-stakeholder team formulated to coordinate the project identified priority issues as infrastructure and human security. Similar to Zanzibar, the Niger State team conducted policy reviews, defined the gaps, and provided fitting recommendations to enhance urban-rural linkages. A report was also prepared on the status of URL in Niger State with specific examples of ongoing projects and initiatives by other partners and governments on rural electrification, rural road upgrading, and market studies. Through the project, a total of three workshops were conducted, which included training on data collection and validation workshops various consultative meetings along with the NUP development process. Guinea Conakry started with a stakeholder’s awareness workshop conducted in Conakry bringing together relevant stakeholders together to understand and discuss the relevance of urban-rural linkages. They also developed the status report on URL in Guinea along with a review of over ten relevant policies. Data collection was also collected to understand the three priorities identified as infrastructure, environmental issues, and economic activities. Four workshops were held in Conakry on awareness, capacity building, and validation of project outcomes. The urban policy process kicked off after the project closed, and a specific section on urban-rural linkages will be integrated with the policy document. The aim of the project was mainly to build the capacities of the stakeholders in the project countries towards enhancing urban-rural linkages and integrated territorial development through policies, and strategies among other frameworks. The projects were anchored in the project countries along with the urban policy process apart from Cameroon where the policy was already completed. The project saw several milestones reached and significant progress made in enhancing urban-rural linkages. Some of the progress made and results achieved include: Multisectoral country teams (national, and local) responsible for promoting and ensuring the consideration of urban-rural links in policies and strategies were set up and equipped through capacity-building activities and related project activities. They will thus continue playing a major role in advancing the agenda as ambassadors of urban-rural linkages initiatives in their works. The capacities of more than 2500 stakeholders in the government, private sector, academia, and civil society have been strengthened on what urban-rural linkages entail and why it is important including how local initiatives contribute to the agenda. This was not only through the capacity-building activities and data collection process but also through the reports developed that will be disseminated in the relevant languages in each project country In all four project countries, urban-rural linkages will form part of the national or sub-national (Zanzibar and Niger state) agendas having been integrated into the urban policies. In Niger state, a chapter dedicated to policy actions for managing urban-rural linkages was adopted. Urban policies form a key reference document for legislation, planning, and related strategies or projects whose benefits would be incremental at different governance levels. Another impact is that another project commenced as a multiplier effect benefitting Niger state and Cameroon with the main focus on food and transportation between urban and rural areas in the context of pandemics. This is through the University of Nairobi and partners, showing the emerging interest of academia to advance the topic of urban-rural linkages. The Project achieved its main objective is to advance the knowledge and capacities of urban-rural linkages in the context of African countries. The approach employed in the implementation of this project involved both experts and local stakeholders to collect evidence for policy enhancement. To engage these diverse stakeholders, context-specific normative tools were developed, core country teams trained, and the tools implemented. Through the various tools being piloted and adapted accordingly, the country reports were developed and shared with all stakeholders on the status of urban-rural linkages. The policies were then reviewed through the lenses of the emerging issues in the reports and recommendations developed. To contextualize and understand the situation further, study sites were identified, and data were collected in a defined functional area. The data collected provided an in-depth understanding of the nature, challenges, and opportunities of urban-rural linkages in specific contexts. The main results were a piloted toolkit that can be replicated in other country contexts, urban-rural linkages policy recommendations, and improved capacities of the stakeholders involved on ways of advancing the agenda post-project period. One of the lessons learned from this project which will be beneficial in future related projects or initiatives is the complex and broad yet context-specific nature of urbanrural linkages. The policy actions in each country are expected to lead to urban and rural food security, better connectivity and inclusive flows of commodities, people, services, and information, management of urban-rural migration, protection of the environment, and managed urban sprawl among other long-term benefits, for integrated and sustainable territorial development. Previous Next

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