GCRF Urban Violence & Climate Change Network

Lead Research Organisation: Institute of Business Administration Karachi
Department Name: Social Sciences & Liberal Arts

Abstract

Violence and climate change risks in the global South are increasingly urbanised, convergent and growing development challenges, negatively affecting the livelihoods, mobility and well-being of the most marginalised urban communities. Both urban violence and climate change impacts in cities also have economic costs, which affect overall development outcomes. Non-conflict violence in particular - spanning several forms of violence including gang violence, sectarian conflict, landlord-tenant conflicts and gender-based / intersectional violence - accounts for the largest share of the global burden of armed violence and is in large part urban. However, its implications have not been fully understood in the context of the climate change impacts and responses affecting urban areas. Urbanisation in developing countries is driving up climate-related risks and vulnerabilities across a spectrum of hazards, while climate adaptation and mitigation responses are now taking place in ways that alter urban socio-ecological systems. Without explicit consideration of violence-related risks, climate change programmes may exacerbate urban violence, or simply not reach vulnerable areas. Conversely, greater synergy of response in urban planning practices to address public security and climate change vulnerability - through the design of public spaces or public health interventions - can support human development gains. All the countries included in the network face the development challenge of ensuring safe, sustainable and inclusive urban development occurs now and into the future, and without which they will not be able to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals.

Researchers and practitioners working on urban climate change and those working on urban violence have had little opportunity to connect agendas. As a result, we lack understanding of how the two phenomena relate in peoples' livelihoods and influence respective initiatives for risk reduction. The aim of the network is to address this gap through research and practice change, in order to reduce the vulnerabilities of marginalised urban groups. Working across cities in Brazil, Honduras, Kenya, Jordan, Sudan, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, the network will support inter-disciplinary workshops with researchers, local and international civil society organisations, municipal governments and networks and international agencies. These will define a future research agenda. The network will also support related practitioner learning through stronger exchange about initiatives to address climate risks and peace building in urban contexts. This will involve webinars, the development of website resources and a practitioner exchange forum. Finally, the network will support participation of network members in major global policy debates about urban security, climate change and development, to raise the policy profile of the importance of considering urban violence-climate linkages, and the practical and ethical implications of the issues for policy and governance. The network will be led by the Institute of Business Administration, Pakistan, supported by the University of Nottingham, working in strong collaboration with university and non-academic partners in focal cities of the global South. The envisaged outcomes of the network are the clear articulation of a new research agenda (reflected in new collaborations, grant bids, publications and contributions to the global evidence base) alongside a new forum for practitioner learning and the enhanced debate of relevant issues amongst municipal governments and international agencies.

Planned Impact

The Urban Violence and Climate Change network will identify knowledge gaps that currently limit practice and policy related to urban peace building and climate resilience through the lack of a dedicated agenda to understanding the influence of non-conflict urban violence on climate risk reduction initiatives, and of climate change on non-conflict urban violence and peace building initiatives. It will deliver impacts across three main stakeholder groups:
1. Local and international NGOs and civil society practitioners working in vulnerable urban areas. Small-scale experiments by practitioners to reduce both violence and climate-change risks through urban disaster risk reduction or peace-building interventions are reported, but without systematic review of what works, and under what conditions. Practitioners also wish to develop vulnerability and capacity assessments and conflict-sensitivity tools for the urban context. The focus of the network on the multiple dimensions of non-conflict urban violence already offers the opportunity to broaden existing thinking about addressing vulnerabilities and the ethical and practical implications of specific interventions. The network will draw practitioners in to the design of a new research agenda from the outset, and also draw practitioner experience together to learn, innovate and identify research needs and gaps through a website, webinars and dedicated practitioner forum.
2. Municipal government planners, disaster risk managers and climate change advisers in city administrations. Local government practices, plans and policies are vital to the reduction of urban vulnerabilities and insecurities, while new urban resilience policies and strategies should be expected to address the multiple risks faced by urban groups. The topic of 'civic conflict' in urban areas is of emergent interest to municipal actors - but challenged by low government capacities, silo-ed agendas and, at one extreme, local government indifferent or hostile to the implications of development or climate change planning on the vulnerabilities of the poorest groups. The network will inform municipal planning, security and climate change / disaster risk initiatives, both through targeting the appropriate inclusion of municipal actors and city-to-city networks in workshops (or workshop side-events such as lunchtime briefings or post-workshop receptions) as well as through appropriately framed presentations / sessions in relevant fora and a dedicated policy brief.
3. International agencies such as multilateral and bilateral development agencies as well as foreign office ministries who both fund relevant projects and drive relevant policy agendas. The issues raised by the network cut across the security, humanitarian, development and climate change policy communities, all of whom are increasingly mobilised around urban risk and resilience, albeit through different lenses. The network will seek to generate a more multi-scale, inclusive and developmental approach to understanding the urban climate-adaptation-security nexus among this group, that re-orients climate adaptation debates towards stronger strategies for more effective urban vulnerability reduction. We will: include relevant individuals in regional and UK-based workshops (again using dedicated briefing or reception sessions to engage them), host dedicated speakers and panels drawn from the network in relevant policy conferences, support policy briefs targeted at relevant global debates and 'moments' and support the production of evidence products, e.g., a background paper to the biannual UNISDR Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction.
 
Description The GCRG Climate Change and Urban Violence Global Engagement Network (CCUVN) organised workshops and in result of the deep dialogues, deliberations and exchanges, one of the findings is that there are fundamental connections between urban violence and climate change which are complex. Gender is an important aspect in the urban violence and climate change context and nexus. Through papers, presentations and workshop dialogues and engagements it has been investigated that gender aspect is mostly neglected in the policies made by state officials and policy makers.
Furthermore, after organizing a workshop on South Asia and a roundtable discussion on Africa on the broader theme of climate change, urban violence, gender and security, the role of state in South Asia and Africa is explored. The role of state either in South Asia or Africa is important in terms of promoting violence. The policies made by bureaucrats and policy makers result in unintended consequences. Moreover, the colonial legacies are evident in policy making in countries like Pakistan, South Africa, Sudan and due to these colonial legacies, bureaucrats and state officials need to make policies that reduce urban violence and gender discrimination. Sudan is one example in which incendiary state policies concerning urban poor and marginalised people are exacerbating climate change. This results in greater pressure on cities, urban violence, and even urban flooding. In Pakistan, there is a need to re-evaluate state policies in terms of catastrophes, which are often more reactive than proactive across the board. There are also concerns regarding the large-scale transformations being controlled by a securitized, militarized state, especially how it brings to question who will benefit from the consequential development, and what vulnerabilities will it lead to being exploited.
A panel discussion was organised to discuss the emerging findings from a GCRF pilot project investigating gendered perspectives on non-conflict violence and climate change interactions in cities. Over a 5-month period, researchers across three countries have been examining how such risks overlap and compound vulnerability in low-income communities in Karachi, Pakistan; Nairobi, Kenya and Colombo, Sri Lanka. Panellists from all organisations involved in the project discussed how they have applied methodologies and concepts from the fields of both urban climate adaptation and urban violence research to address the complexities of capturing the data and understanding their multiple inter-connections.
'Building Resilience in Fragile Urban Environments' brings together three research projects developed to understand how climate risks are experienced in urban contexts where formal authorities lack capacity, legitimacy, or authority, posing a challenge to adaptation policy and practice. 'Addressing the 24-hour cycle of urban risk: Gendered perspectives on non-conflict violence and climate change impacts in cities' is a pilot project. It examines the influence and interaction of non-conflict violence and climate change risks in low-income communities in three cities (Karachi, Pakistan; Nairobi, Kenya and Colombo, Sri Lanka), and in particular the implications for women. Under this project, three documentary films were made for COP26 screening. These three films were publicly screened in the University of Nottingham's public exhibition for COP in Nottingham City Centre; by the School of Geography, University of Nottingham, in November 2021 and at the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice at Oxford Brookes University in February 2022. A stand was won in COP26 event to showcase work and screen these documentary films in COP26 under the title Building Resilience in Fragile Urban Environments. These three short films made for COP26 were also screened online followed by discussion with project members from all three projects and the film maker.
A workshop, 'Environmental Urban Peace from experiences of community fragility & resilience in Colombia' was organised in 2022. The main purpose of this workshop was to reflect from the community experience to identify needs, priorities and strategies to materialize the resolution of conflicts in Colombian cities. It projected the analyses that questions, among other instruments, the national policy of peace, reconciliation and coexistence (Decree Law 885 of 2017); the national climate change adaptation policy (Law 1931 of 2018), the national disaster risk management policy (Law 1523 of 2012); and the Sendai Framework for Action for disaster risk reduction and its integration with different instruments through the New Urban Agenda, at the international level. Community groups participated in this workshop and shared their views and experiences.
Exploitation Route Policy briefs, blogs and other published material can be used and circulated among climate change and urban violence forums such as UK government, policy making forums and in policy development for multilateral donor organisations and agencies and various other stake holders. However, due to the pandemic, deep dialogues, in-depth deliberation and absence of face-to-face meetings and interactions remained a drawback. Some objectives are left as face-to-face element with policy makers, practitioners and state officials is missing so far, which could have much deeper impact.
However, the publications, policy briefs and other published and broadcast material such as recordings of webinars, workshops conducted in this project and films that are broadcast and panel discussions have been uploaded on project's website and are accessible for everyone.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy,Other
URL https://ccuvn.com/
 
Description Our findings have been used by media by publishing press releases. There is extensive reporting of our both workshops on South Asia and Africa by media which published our findings in papers. The key objective and outcome of this project is to strengthen the Network and expand it. Within a year, the Network has developed partnerships with various NGOs and organisations such as United States Institute of Peace, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad, Indian Institute for Human Settlements, New Delhi, International Committee of the Red Cross and the Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies (CHRIPS). The Network and these NGOs and organisations benefit with other in sharing information, data, reports and other published material. Furthermore, the partnerships within the Network were also strengthened such as with the Kounkuey Design Initiative, Nairobi which is using the information and findings of the roundtable discussion and putting through their own channels and publishing a blog. Similarly, the Network members from University of Nottingham, Open University, University of Warwick, ActionAid UK, Karachi Urban Lab, (IBA Pakistan), Centre for Migration Research Colombo (Sri Lanka), University of Manizales (Colombia) and Kounkuey Design Initiative (Nairobi) are collaborating with each other in preparing proposals and applications for more grants. Out of total four grants for which they applied in one year, they have successfully got two grants while two were unsuccessful. In the second year, our published material such as research article, policy briefs and blogs were circulated through newsletters in the wider networks as well as through the website. The recordings of workshops organised are broadcast on YouTube channel for everyone's benefits and were uploaded on website as well. Some findings from three regions, Karachi, Colombo and Nairobi were documented and broadcast in the form of films. The public screenings at various events and venues such as University of Nottingham's public exhibition for COP in Nottingham City Centre; by the School of Geography, University of Nottingham, in November 2021 and in COP26 have provided knowledge to the people and professional practitioners about 'gendered perspectives on non-conflict violence and climate change impacts in cities'.
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy,Other
Impact Types Societal,Policy & public services
 
Description Addressing the 24 hour cycle of urban risk: Gendered perspectives on non-conflict violence and climate change impacts in cities
Amount £5,605,239 (GBP)
Organisation University of Nottingham 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2021 
End 07/2021
 
Description Nottingham ESRC Step-Change Incentive Fund
Amount £4,020 (GBP)
Organisation University of Nottingham 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start  
 
Description University of Nottingham Institute for policy and engagement COP26 fund
Amount £1,500 (GBP)
Organisation University of Nottingham 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2021 
End 12/2021
 
Description Collaboration with scholar 
Organisation Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies
Country Kenya 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Dr. Mutuma Ruteere, Director, Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies (CHRIPS), and a former UN Special Rapporteur, Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Intolerance Nairobi was invited by the GCRF Climate Change and Urban Violence Global Engagement Network (CCUVN) to speak in an online roundtable discussion on the interconnections between climate change and urban violence in African cities.
Collaborator Contribution Dr. Mutuma Ruteere participated in the discussion and talked about violence in many postcolonial African countries and its role in the creation of the Kenyan state. He highlighted instances of climate-driven violence in informal settlements in Nairobi, using them as a frame of reference to discuss the more generalizable themes of the intersectionality of climate change, vulnerability, and state inefficiency within the African continent. His contribution to the discussion emphasized on the need to look into the past to find out the roots of present-day issues and realize the need to consolidate in order to combat a crisis that is larger than any single group or community. Dr. Ruteere is not connected with the Network and receives our newsletter and other updates. He is also willing to contribute more to the network in future and participate in future events related to Africa
Impact Dr. Mutuma Ruteere is now connected with the Network and receives regular updates, shares his work and opportunities of future collaboration. He is also willing to take part in future events of the network and provide his feedback and suggestions.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with scholar 
Organisation Indian Institute for Human Settlements
Country India 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The GCRF Climate Change and Urban Violence Network (CCUVN) invited Rashee Mehra, as panelist of the workshop, Climate Change, Cities and Violence in the Time of Covid-19: Perspectives from South Asia.
Collaborator Contribution Rashee Mehra is part of the School of Human Development at IIHS. Mehra is a Senior Associate - Academics and Research at Indian Institute for Human Settlements, New Delhi. In this workshop she talked about 'Urban Planning During a Pandemic', by introducing the audience to the Mei Bhi Dilli campaign started in 2018 that aimed to make the Delhi Master Plan more and more inclusive. Mehra critiqued that cities are predominantly planned to cater to able-bodied young men, while turning a blind eye to the lived experiences of the majority of citizens who are left out of these extravagant city plans. The Mei Bhi Dilli campaign thus called for an inclusionary space and a city plan that catered to and accommodated the needs of different social groups, including women, the handicapped, gender minorities and other marginalised groups. It really questioned this millennial agenda of word-class city making and the focus on mere aesthetics. The campaign strove for a city plan that was more inclusive and looked beyond the paradigm of a world-class city. Mehra argued that the COVID-19 pandemic really brought issues Mie Bhi Dilli had been campaigning for to the centre-stage. The need to focus on informal livelihood, housing and sanitation suddenly became more dire because of the pandemic, making invisible communities more relevant and prominent in the urban landscape. There were massive migrations out of the city to rural areas because the Indian government imposed a severe lockdown and curfew on the city. Many lost their lives as they walked on foot out of the cities, which Mehra found 'reminiscent of the partition migration crisis'. This was accompanied by massive food and health insecurities due to under-served informal settlements lacking basic sanitation and tapped water. Directives of the government such as handwashing and social distancing in such dense built ups were impossible to put into practice when basic facilities needed to implement these directives were absent. Basic provisions such as access to toilets became a luxury, thus visibilizing the initial concerns and agendas of the Mei Bhi Dilli campaign. Mehra argued that cities in India do not possess the built infrastructure and the social structure to handle a pandemic that affects people irrespective of class, gender and spatial location. The COVID crises thus puts into perspective how ill-equipped cities are to deal with climate crises that may become more frequented in the future. This shows how resilient are our cities when there have been similar experiences in Delhi, Mumbai, Channai, Calcutta and other South Asian cities like Karachi and Dhaka. So, Mehra posed the question, 'what can a people's urban plan look like?' Policy makers and urban planners will, in light of the facts that have emerged during the pandemic, now be looking at migrant housing, sanitation provision etc. The campaign has thus been in dialogue with the National Institute of Urban Affairs to come up with strategies to deal with pandemic situations such as provision of isolation wards, dissemination of information and health provisions at neighbourhood levels. Mehra brought to light the plight of street-vendors of Delhi in particular. 'Delhi was unprepared for mass migration out of the city but we do have a chance now to prepare for a reverse migration into the city because the rural economy of India cannot absorb that many workers, so we will see people coming back into the city for work for their livelihood'. Street vendors, on return, will have to renegotiate public space because corona has marked so sharply what a public space looks like. So, a post-pandemic public space where you have to have social distancing, sanitize, be mindful of hygiene and have protective equipment like masks etc will have to be regulated by the government in a way that livelihoods can be restored. If this is not done, it will lead to a complete destruction of India's informal economy on which it is heavily dependent. Thus, from a development perspective, spatially, the city must be equipped to deal with these crises. That will determine the resilience of cities in the future. Rashee Mehra is connected with our Network and shares her work and research which benefits our members.
Impact Rashee Mehra is part of the School of Human Development at IIHS. Her research focuses on the issues of inequalities and activism, urban planning, informal work, social protection and gender. At IIHS she works on creating research on social movements to support the work activists and practitioners who engage with marginalised urban geographies. In this collaboration, Rashee contributed through her work and research on New Delhi. She is now connected with the Network's core member team and shares her work and research for the benefit of members. She has agreed to take part in future events that the Network is planning.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with scholar 
Organisation International Committee of the Red Cross
Department International Committee of the Red Cross, Pakistan
Country Pakistan 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Dr. Mirwais Khan who heads the Healthcare in Danger Initiative of ICRC was invited by the GCRF Climate Change and Urban Violence Network (CCUVN), as panelist of the workshop, Climate Change, Cities and Violence in the Time of Covid-19: Perspectives from South Asia.
Collaborator Contribution Dr. Mirwais Khan talked about violence, healthcare and COVID. Dr. Khan mentioned that healthcare includes not just healthcare workers but healthcare transport, facilities etc. The ICRC, which partnered with 11 countries to collect data over the period of three years, found 2400 incidents of violence reported in the healthcare sector in which 600 healthcare workers were killed or wounded. 'In Pakistan we used an evidence-based approach for tangible interventions and to work towards behavioral change.' Dr. Khan states an aspect overlooked by the media, which mostly covers target killings when it comes to healthcare related crimes. Sharing his findings, Dr. Khan told that 60% of healthcare workers in Karachi had experienced violence or witnessed violence against other professionals over the span of 1 year. In across 16 cities in Pakistan with over 8500 respondents, almost half the respondents who were healthcare workers had experienced violence. Khan emphasized the 'overflow of urban violence into Healthcare settings' e.g. target killings along sectarian lines, prevention of ambulance services Talking about COVID and Climate Change, Dr. Khan discussed about force used against protesters demanding PPE kits. He highlights police/physical violence used against them. There was violence against workers due to certain misconceptions e.g. SOPS issued by authorities regarding the management of those who passed away from COVID. This led to more violence. Deaths on arrival in hospitals would lead to attendees getting violent against healthcare workers. According to Dr. Khan, increase in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases due to climate change has also led to an overflow of patients in the healthcare system, further contributing to the problem. Dr. Mirwais Khan is connected with our Network and shares his work and research which benefits our members. He also shares data on healthcare in Pakistan and reports of his organization.
Impact Dr. Mirwais Khan shared his research and findings on healthcare in Pakistan during the workshop. Dr. Khan also shared some documents, reports and findings of his departments extensive research work on healthcare in Pakistan. He agreed to share these documents with the members who are working or interested to work on the healthcare sector. He also agreed to assist any member and provide more data who want to work on this sector and accepted the network's invitation to be part of the future events.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with scholar 
Organisation Portland State University
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Dr. Idowu Ajibade, Assistant Professor of Geography at Portland State University, USA was invited to participate in an online roundtable discussion on the interconnections between climate change and urban violence in African cities organized by the GCRF Climate Change and Urban Violence Global Engagement Network (CCUVN)
Collaborator Contribution In the roundtable discussion, Dr. Idowu Ajibade focused on how violence in rural areas connects with what is happening in the cities, youth activism, and the political economy crisis, all under the wider notions of climate change. She observed that climate change is not the root cause of urban violence in Nigeria, and additionally established that state sponsored, and autonomous adaptation has engendered more harm and violence in different geographic spaces. Furthermore, she brought forward an important suggestion, stating that the purpose of climate adaptation should not be for people to build capacity to endure more shocks, but for them to become skillful in confronting the systems and structures of inequity. Dr. Idowu Ajibade is now connected with the Network and receives newsletter and updates of our network. She also shares her work and other related researches happening in Africa for the benefit of our members and knowledge dissemination
Impact Dr. Idowu Ajibade is now connected with the Network, receives regular updates, shares her work and opportunities of future collaboration and willing to take part in future events of the network. She is also willing to assist network's members who are interested to work on how individuals, communities, and cities respond to global climate change and their different capacities for adaptation and transformation in the context of resilience planning, eco-industrialization and eco-gentrification.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with scholar 
Organisation Sustainable Development Policy Institute
Country Pakistan 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The GCRF Climate Change and Urban Violence Network (CCUVN) invited Dr. Imran Saqib Khalid, as panelist of the workshop, Climate Change, Cities and Violence in the Time of Covid-19: Perspectives from South Asia.
Collaborator Contribution Dr. Imran Khalid is heading SDPI's environment and climate change unit. Dr Imran Khalid gave a presentation on the topic of "Grasping at the Dying Spring: Plastic Bags, Tsunami and a Corridor". He also shared his work on impacts of climate change on migration in Pakistan, the cotton belt as well as water governance. His talk's focus was on flood governance systems in Pakistan, studied through the lens of political economy considerations, equity injustice concerns as well as insights from past flood events.
Impact Dr. Imran Khalid is now connected with our Network. He actively shares his research work and other collaboration opportunities. He was present in other two sessions of the workshop and actively contributed. His work on environment and natural resources from a policy perspectives benefit our Network members. He receives our newsletter and other Network updates and provides his feedback.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with scholar 
Organisation Syracuse University
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The Network invited Dr. Farhana Sultana as panelist of the workshop, Climate Change, Cities and Violence in the Time of Covid-19: Perspectives from South Asia.
Collaborator Contribution Dr Farhana Sultana is an Associate Professor of Geography at the Syracuse University and the Research Director of PARCC (Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration). She specializes in multiple interdisciplinary fields, spanning topics related to Political Ecology, International Development, Water Governance, Climate Change, Gender and Citizenship. Her experience in her field is profound, ranging from UNDP projects in Bangladesh to teaching in universities across the US and UK. She has authored three books, the most recent being "Water Politics: Governance, Justice and the Right of Water" published in 2019. Due to her broad research in the field of climate change and gender, the Network invited her to shed light on the topic in our workshop. Dr. Farhana as a panelist, sheds light on the ongoing water crises in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which is identified as the most vulnerable to climate change, according to the UN. While articulating the water security issues, Dr. Farhana also talks about the intersectionality of class and gender. Poor women in the slums have limited access to water and have to walk miles to fetch it, women of the upper class use water for non-survival activities such as washing cars, filling up swimming pools and watering their garden. In Dhaka, water injustice is also marked by gender differences because women are primarily responsible for domestic responsibilities, which includes fetching water for the family. She asserts on the complexity of the hydraulic component in the climate crises as she says "everything about water has a gender component. Poor women who live in informal settlements face double burden of climate change and patriarchy". She further emphasized the need for a gender perspective into the water crises and to shape policies keeping in mind the water-gender relationship to protect the rights of women and promote women's agency in the socio-political sphere. "Heeding gendered implications of climate change is important because different patriarchal norms and inequities have placed women and men in differentiated positions in climate change and the corona virus," says Dr. Farhana. Her ending note focused on the need for an eco-feministic approach to address the patriarchal barriers embedded within the climate crises and urban violence. Dr. Farhana Sultana is now connected with our Network's core member team.
Impact Dr. Farhana Sultana is now connected with the Network's core member team. In this collaboration both Network and Dr. Sultana share research, funding opportunities and other opportunities. Her works on Political Ecology, International Development, Water Governance, Climate Change, Gender and Citizenship benefit our Network members.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with scholar 
Organisation United States Institute for Peace
Department United States Institute of Peace Pakistan
Country Pakistan 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Dr. Adnan Rafiq, Country Director of USIP, Pakistan was invited by the GCRF Climate Change and Urban Violence Network (CCUVN), as panelist of the workshop, Climate Change, Cities and Violence in the Time of Covid-19: Perspectives from South Asia.
Collaborator Contribution In the workshop, Dr. Rafiq focused on the microlevel dynamics of the situation in Pakistan. He looked at the intersection between securitization and the emerging challenges of climate change and COVID-19 in terms of how national security policy has evolved given the expanded nature and spectrum of various emerging national threats. These threats are rooted in Pakistan's identification as a 'security state' and a 'garrison state' because of the accumulation of vast security apparatus since its inception. These security threats not only include India as Pakistan's traditional enemy, but also the emergence of extremism and terrorism on Pakistan's own soil in the past 20 years that has led to extreme violence and instability. Thus, security concerns have an overwhelming sway over national policies, making them a determining factor in how the state responds to the pandemic. In that historical context, the health pandemic and its implications for national security has also become a pressing security paradigm for Pakistan. This has two aspects: a) the intrastate dynamics and b) the state and society perspective, as COVID has had an impact on both in Pakistan. As far as the intrastate dynamic is concerned, there has been a power asymmetry: the security apparatus has had a strong influence on public policy. Economic policy, health, development and education, which should fall under the umbrella of welfare provision, have been under the wing of the security apparatus so that they have been shaped to serve the state's security interests instead of keeping civilian enhancement as priority. There has been much less emphasis on welfare provision for the sake of welfare provision, thereby rendering issues such as environmental preservation and climate change as unimportant on the scale of national priority. Dr. Rafiq went on to say that as long as these issues are not guised under the narrative of national security concern, the institutions and policies necessary to counter and tackle them will not take centre-stage because of the historical pattern of what traditionally categorizes as 'key national security concerns'. Only a greater securitization of these environment and health issues, such as the COVID crisis, and categorizing them as national threats where institutions such as the NDMA take control, allows them inclusion into the national security domain. Dr. Rafiq argued that this 'welfarization of national security' is the only way through which health experts and environmentalists can take a lead in developing state policies. On the state-society dimension too, there is a disconnect between those disproportionately affected by crises such as the COVID pandemic, climate change and so on, and those who drive policy. Climate change issues have manifested themselves on the community level in the form of questions of water availability, sanitation issues and a host of urban violence dilemmas, where local electoral politics have been at the heart of dealing with them at the community level. At the policy level however, such pressing issues are not always recognized as a fallout of climate change. Here climate change is often perceived as a 'big disaster idea' such as flash floods and droughts. But even these are relegated to the backgrounds because there are always more pressing political national issues to deal with. Dr. Rafiq claimed, 'there is a lack of understanding or framing of more politically relevant issues at the constituency level as climate change issues so that there is greater political impetus for the political class to do something about it and frame it as such'. Thus, this "framing" is much needed to pull climate change concerns into the domain of national policy. Dr. Rafiq concluded that it is in this policy domain that the state-society disconnect manifests itself. Dr. Adnan Rafiq is now connected with our Network and shares his work and potential areas of collaboration. He receives updates and newsletters from our Network and gives his feedback from a policy perspective.
Impact Dr. Adnan Rafiq shared his research and findings on intersection between securitization and the emerging challenges of climate change and COVID-19 in Pakistan during the workshop. Dr. Rafiq is now connected with the Network's core member team, receives the regular updates, shares his work and opportunities of future collaboration and willing to take part in future events of the network.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with scholar 
Organisation University of Brighton
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The GCRF Climate Change and Urban Violence Network (CCUVN) invited Dr. Nichola Khan of the University of Brighton, UK, as panelist of the workshop, Climate Change, Cities and Violence in the Time of Covid-19: Perspectives from South Asia
Collaborator Contribution Dr. Nichola Khan shed insightful light on the topic "Climate Change Analysis, Responses and Knowledge: Reflections on Gender, Migration and Urban Violence in Sindh". Drawing from her research on young men's violence in Karachi's MQM party, she offered observations on the relationship between gender violence and climate change. Dr. Khan also joined two more sessions in the following days in which she gave her valuable feedback. She in now part of our Network's mailing list and not just receives the regular newsletter and updates but also shares funding opportunities and research work from her end.
Impact Dr. Nichola Khan is now connected with the Network's core member team. In this collaboration both Network and Dr. Khan share research, funding opportunities and other opportunities. Her works on Anthropology and Psychology, and interdisciplinary areas of migration, war, conflict, violence, refugees, transnationalism, ethnicity, mobilities, cities, migrant health and mental health, social inequalities, and environmental violence benefit our Network members.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with scholar 
Organisation University of Khartoum
Country Sudan 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution GCRF Climate Change and Urban Violence Global Engagement Network (CCUVN) organized an online roundtable discussion on the interconnections between climate change and urban violence in African cities and invited Dr. Salah Osman, Associate Professor of University of Khartoum, Sudan, as a speaker
Collaborator Contribution In the roundtable discussion Dr. Salah Osmanbrought forward the prospects of a sustainable approach to facing urban violence and climate change in African communities by using case studies from Sudan. He suggested that tackling the urban-violence and climate change nexus will involve challenging the assumption that such violence is an inevitable result of urban expansion, further adding that violence needs to be incorporated into urban planning strategies through the means of analysing climatic stressors pertaining to it and developing policies to overcome such stressors. Dr. Osman also highlighted the importance of incorporating climate-driven violence into urban research by focusing on evidence based and participatory analysis. Dr. Salah Osman is now connected with the Network and receives newsletter and updates of our network. He also shares his work and other related researches happening in Africa for the benefit of our members and knowledge dissemination
Impact Dr. Salah Osman is now connected with the Network's core member team, receives the regular updates, shares his work and opportunities of future collaboration and willing to take part in future events of the network.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with scholar 
Organisation University of the Western Cape
Country South Africa 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Dr. Patrick Bond, Professor at the School of Government, University of the Western Cape, South Africaa was invited in an online roundtable discussion on the interconnections between climate change and urban violence in African cities by the GCRF Climate Change and Urban Violence Global Engagement Network (CCUVN)
Collaborator Contribution In the online discussion, Dr. Bond explored the interconnection of climate driven violence with the ongoing political and economic crises in the region and the need for solidarity and youth activism in order to combat it. He used two case studies i.e., the assassination of an anti-coal activist, Fikile Ntshangase in South Africa in October 2020, and the tragic loss of 71 individuals in a rain bomb in Port Elizabeth to emphasize the extremity of climate-driven violence. He explored the importance of linking climate change to impactful industries such as oil and coal, and holding those in power accountable, particularly international agencies such as the United Nations. Professor Bond also elaborated on the role of corporate agencies in brainwashing communities and exploiting resources in their own interests, leading to localized violence. Dr. Bond is now connected with the Network and receives newsletter and updates of our network. He also shares his work and other related researches happening in Africa for the benefit of our members and knowledge dissemination.
Impact Dr. Patrick Bond is now connected with the Network's core member team, receives the regular updates, shares his work and opportunities of future collaboration. He is also willing to take part in future events of the network and provide guidance to the members who are interested to work on political economy, geopolitics, political ecology (resource extraction, energy, water and climate change), social mobilisation, state-society relations and public policy
Start Year 2020
 
Description COP Film screening 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 'Building Resilience in Fragile Urban Environments' brings together three research projects developed to understand how climate risks are experienced in urban contexts where formal authorities lack capacity, legitimacy, or authority, posing a challenge to adaptation policy and practice.
'Addressing the 24-hour cycle of urban risk: Gendered perspectives on non-conflict violence and climate change impacts in cities' is a pilot project. It examines the influence and interaction of non-conflict violence and climate change risks in low-income communities in three cities (Karachi, Pakistan; Nairobi, Kenya and Colombo, Sri Lanka), and in particular the implications for women. Under this project, three documentary films were made for COP26 screening.
These three films were publicly screened in the University of Nottingham's public exhibition for COP in Nottingham City Centre; by the School of Geography, University of Nottingham, in November 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description COP26 Exhibition stand 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A stand was won in COP26 event to showcase work and screen documentary films. Three short films made for COP26 under the title Building Resilience in Fragile Urban Environments were screened at COP26
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Coverage in media 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Pakistan's newspaper, The Express Tribune, reported on the second day of the workshop of CCUVN Climate Change, Cities and Violence in the Time of Covid-19: Perspectives from South Asia. The paper published the discussion and proceedings of the workshop on 26 June, 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://tribune.com.pk/story/2250471/1-displacement-urban-south-asia
 
Description Coverage in media 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Pakistan's newspaper, Dawn, reported on the roundtable discussion of CCUVN, Connecting Urban Violence and Climate Change in African Cities. The paper published the discussion and proceedings of the roundtable on 7 December, 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.dawn.com/news/1594376
 
Description Coverage in media 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Pakistan's newspaper, Dawn, reported on the first day of the workshop of CCUVN Climate Change, Cities and Violence in the Time of Covid-19: Perspectives from South Asia. The paper published the discussion and proceedings of the workshop on 26 June, 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.dawn.com/news/1565208
 
Description Coverage in media 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Pakistan's newspaper, The Express Tribune, reported on the first day of the workshop of CCUVN Climate Change, Cities and Violence in the Time of Covid-19: Perspectives from South Asia. The paper published the discussion and proceedings of the workshop on 25 June, 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://tribune.com.pk/story/2249871/1-overlooked-impact-global-warming-gender-based-violence
 
Description Coverage in media 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Pakistan's newspaper, Dawn, reported on the second day of the workshop of CCUVN Climate Change, Cities and Violence in the Time of Covid-19: Perspectives from South Asia. The paper published the discussion and proceedings of the workshop on 27 June, 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.dawn.com/news/1565366
 
Description Film screening 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 'Building Resilience in Fragile Urban Environments' brings together three research projects developed to understand how climate risks are experienced in urban contexts where formal authorities lack capacity, legitimacy, or authority, posing a challenge to adaptation policy and practice.
'Addressing the 24-hour cycle of urban risk: Gendered perspectives on non-conflict violence and climate change impacts in cities' is a pilot project. It examines the influence and interaction of non-conflict violence and climate change risks in low-income communities in three cities (Karachi, Pakistan; Nairobi, Kenya and Colombo, Sri Lanka), and in particular the implications for women. Under this project, three documentary films were made for COP26 screening.
These three films were publicly screened to the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice at Oxford Brookes University in February 2022.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Newsletter February 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The newsletter is an integral part of our Network to inform our member about funding opportunities, summary and updates of the Network events, podcasts of members, important news and research publications related to climate change and urban violence and other related activities of the Network. The newsletter is circulated among members across the regions to share the research and practices by fellow members and activities happening across the globe in which they can participate.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Newsletter March 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The newsletter is a regular feature of our Network. It is published to inform our Network members about funding opportunities, summary and updates of the Network events, podcasts of members, important news and research publications related to climate change and urban violence and other related activities of the Network. The newsletter is circulated among members across the regions to share the research and practices of fellow members and activities happening across the globe in which they can participate. The members are asked to share the newsletter in their own circles. After publishing the previous three newsletters of the Network - first in February, second in May and third in August - more professional practitioners, postgraduate students and members of academia shown their interest in the activities of Network and research publications. Hence the newsletter's circulation is increased and more members were added in the mailing list.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Newsletter March 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This newsletter is published to showcase the activities, research and events that were organised by the Network. The newsletter also informs our Network members about funding opportunities, summary and updates of the Network events, podcasts of members, important news and research publications related to climate change and urban violence and other related activities of the Network. The newsletter is circulated among members across the regions to share the research and practices of fellow members and activities happening across the globe in which they can participate. The members are asked to share the newsletter in their own circles.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Newsletter May 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The newsletter is an integral part of our Network to inform our Network member about funding opportunities, summary and updates of the Network events, podcasts of members, important news and research publications related to climate change and urban violence and other related activities of the Network. The newsletter is circulated among members across the regions to share the research and practices of fellow members and activities happening across the globe in which they can participate. The members are asked to share the newsletter in their own circles.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Newsletter November 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The newsletter is an integral part of our Network to inform our Network member about funding opportunities, summary and updates of the Network events, podcasts of members, important news and research publications related to climate change and urban violence and other related activities of the Network. The newsletter is circulated among members across the regions to share the research and practices of fellow members and activities happening across the globe in which they can participate. The members are asked to share the newsletter in their own circles. After publishing the previous two newsletters of the Network - first in February and then in May - more professional practitioners, postgraduate students and members of academia shown their interest in the activities of Network and research publications. Hence the newsletter's circulation is increased and more members were added in the mailing list.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Online film screening 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Three short films recently made for COP26 under the title Building Resilience in Fragile Urban Environments were screened which was followed by discussion with project members from all three projects and the film maker
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Panel discussion: 24-hour cycles of urban risk: understanding violence-climate change interactions in cities 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A panel discussion was organised to discuss the emerging findings from a GCRF pilot project investigating gendered perspectives on non-conflict violence and climate change interactions in cities. Over a 5-month period, researchers across three countries have been examining how such risks overlap and compound vulnerability in low-income communities in Karachi, Pakistan; Nairobi, Kenya and Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Panellists from all organisations involved in the project discussed how they have applied methodologies and concepts from the fields of both urban climate adaptation and urban violence research to address the complexities of capturing the data and understanding their multiple inter-connections.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBy1lJtfruU
 
Description Workshop - Climate Change, Cities and Violence in the Time of COVID-19: Perspectives from South Asia 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Climate Change, Cities, and Violence in the Time of COVID 19: Perspectives from South Asia was a three-day workshop held from the 24th-26th June 2020. It was initiated by the Network of Climate Change and Urban Violence (CCUVN) in partnership with UK's Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). Moderated by Prof. Dr. Nausheen H. Anwar, Director, CCUVN and Karachi Urban Lab (KUL) and Dr. Arabella Fraser, Co-Director CCUVN and Nottingham Research Fellow, University of Nottingham, the workshop revolved around generating and exchanging knowledge among academics and practitioners working towards violence and climate change in South Asia. The workshop presented the key factors and insights needed to be carried forward in order to move towards long lasting, sustainable planning. It particularly focused on considering the importance of subjectivity, inclusion, scale, and transformation when thinking of the issues related to gender, displacement, climate change, and violence, especially under the influence of a global health crisis. It was also brought forward that such discussions need to be expanded in order to include conversation beyond South Asia, particularly in reference to Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Black Lives Matter movement, and other similar threads.
This workshop engaged a wide number of audience such as professional practitioners, students, policy makers, members of NGOs, media personnel and members of academia. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the workshop was moved to the online medium through zoom and faced the challenges of lack of face-to-face interactions and discussions. Despite the challenges, the workshop was successful in engaging people from across the globe among whom many showed their interest in future activities of the Network.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuXahy7vhYwA97kedaAHK8Q/videos
 
Description Workshop - Connecting Urban Violence & Climate Change in African Cities 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact On 2nd December 2020, the GCRF Climate Change and Urban Violence Global Engagement Network (CCUVN) organized an online roundtable discussion on the interconnections between climate change and urban violence in African cities. Chaired by Vera Bukachi, Research Director at Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI), and Dr. Charlotte Cross, Lecturer at Open University, the discussion highlighted the complexity of understanding climate change, violence and vulnerability under the broader effects of postcolonialism and political and economic instability in African cities. The discussion was furthered by drawing parallels and contrasts between the climate change and urban violence nexus in African and South Asian localities. Speakers of the roundtable discussion were Dr. Salah Osman, Associate Professor of University of Khartoum, Sudan, Dr. Patrick Bond, Professor at the School of Government, University of the Western Cape, South Africa, Dr. Mutuma Ruteere, Director, Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies (CHRIPS), and a former UN Special Rapporteur, Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Intolerance Nairobi and Dr. Idowu Ajibade, Assistant Professor of Geography, Portland State University, USA.
Dr. Osman brought forward the prospects of a sustainable approach to facing urban violence and climate change in African communities by using case studies from Sudan. He suggested that tackling the urban-violence and climate change nexus will involve challenging the assumption that such violence is an inevitable result of urban expansion, further adding that violence needs to be incorporated into urban planning strategies through the means of analyzing climatic stressors pertaining to it and developing policies to overcome such stressors. The discussion was continued to explore the interconnection of climate driven violence with the ongoing political and economic crises in the region and the need for solidarity and youth activism in order to combat it by Dr. Patrick Bond who used two case studies i.e., the assassination of an anti-coal activist, Fikile Ntshangase in South Africa in October 2020, and the tragic loss of 71 individuals in a rain bomb in Port Elizabeth to emphasize the extremity of climate-driven violence. He explored the importance of linking climate change to impactful industries such as oil and coal, and holding those in power accountable, particularly international agencies such as the United Nations. Professor Bond also elaborated on the role of corporate agencies in brainwashing communities and exploiting resources in their own interests, leading to localized violence. Dr. Ruteere talked about violence in many postcolonial African countries and its role in the creation of the Kenyan state. He highlighted instances of climate-driven violence in informal settlements in Nairobi, using them as a frame of reference to discuss the more generalizable themes of the intersectionality of climate change, vulnerability, and state inefficiency within the African continent. His contribution to the discussion emphasized on the need to look into the past to find out the roots of present-day issues and realize the need to consolidate in order to combat a crisis that is larger than any single group or community.
Consolidating the arguments made by the first three panelists, Dr. Idowu Ajibade made the final presentation, particularly focusing on how violence in rural areas connects with what is happening in the cities, youth activism, and the political economy crisis, all under the wider notions of climate change. She observed that climate change is not the root cause of urban violence in Nigeria, and additionally established that state sponsored, and autonomous adaptation has engendered more harm and violence in different geographic spaces. Furthermore, she brought forward an important suggestion, stating that the purpose of climate adaptation should not be for people to build capacity to endure more shocks, but for them to become skillful in confronting the systems and structures of inequity.
In the end, Dr. Nausheen H. Anwar, Professor, City and Regional Planning at IBA and Director, Karachi Urban Lab and CCUVN, parted her remarks on the matter, by drawing parallels between the intersectional crises of climate change and urban violence in South Asia and the African states under discussion. She mentioned the need to re-evaluate state policies in terms of catastrophes, which are often more reactive than proactive across the board. Bringing to light the 6.8-billion-dollar Karachi transformation package, she expressed her concerns regarding such large-scale transformations being controlled by a securitized, militarized state, especially how it brings to question who will benefit from the consequential development, and what vulnerabilities will it lead to being exploited. She also highlighted the difficulty in forming solidarity among nations in South Asia that are still tangled in rivalrous relations based on complicated histories, something she found did not pose an issue among African nations.
The workshop was attended by professional practitioners, scholars, students and members of academia.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuXahy7vhYwA97kedaAHK8Q/videos
 
Description Workshop: Environmental Urban Peace from experiences of community fragility & resilience in Colombia 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The main purpose of this workshop was to reflect from the community experience to identify needs, priorities and strategies to materialize the resolution of conflicts in Colombian cities. It projected the analyses that questions, among other instruments, the national policy of peace, reconciliation and coexistence (Decree Law 885 of 2017); the national climate change adaptation policy (Law 1931 of 2018), the national disaster risk management policy (Law 1523 of 2012); and the Sendai Framework for Action for disaster risk reduction and its integration with different instruments through the New Urban Agenda, at the international level.
Community groups participated in this workshop and shared their views and experiences.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022