URAC HOSTS LO-ACT WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

URAC HOSTS LO-ACT WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

Mzuzu, Malawi, 13-14^th September 2022:

URAC hosted a 2-day workshop to discuss current local level adaptation practices and gaps to climate change in and around Mzuzu City. The workshop was organized jointly by University of Sheffield’s Urban Institute and UCL’s Development Planning Unit (DPU) and URAC under the project ‘Low Carbon Actions in Ordinary Cities’ (LO-ACT). It was facilitated by Prof. Vanessa Castan Broto of Sheffield, Dr Emmanuel Osuteye of DPU and Assoc. Professor Mtafu Manda of Mzuzu University & URAC.

LO-ACT is mapping ordinary innovation to address climate change across rapidly urbanizing areas in West Africa, East Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. One of the objectives of LO-ACT is to map forms of local innovation, both to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change and improve everyday life, particularly in secondary cities or in cities outside of the global circuits of climate innovation.

Participants reported on interventions that they are implementing to address climate change related problems in Mzuzu city and surrounding areas. The interventions included biogas production, fire briquettes from saw dust and cartons, plastic bricks, fuel efficient cook stoves, urban forestry, fly ash from solid wastes incineration to replace cement content among others.  Similar workshops are planned for Lagos (Nigeria) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).

The Lo-ACT is funded by: The European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No 804051—LO-ACT—ERC-2018-STG).” Visit: https://www.loactproject.com/about

Written by: Faith Manda