Latest News + Insights

When policy follows practice: Reflections from Nairobi’s Water and Sanitation Policy workshop
The ACRC Nairobi team had the privilege of joining residents, government officials, engineers, public health experts and other stakeholders at a recent Water and Sanitation Policy workshop for Nairobi’s informal settlements.

New research: Unearthing the realities of food security in Bukavu
A new ACRC working paper explores the complex challenges that a population explosion, mineral rush and conflict pose to food security and access to healthy diets in Bukavu, and identify potential paths forward for the city.

Unlocking land rights for communities in Mathare, Nairobi
ACRC has partnered with Strathmore University and Akiba Mashinani Trust to equip the residents of Mathare with the tools and strategies they need to secure greater recognition of their land tenure.

Transforming informal settlements in Lagos through community-driven WASH innovation: The Okerube project
The “Informal Settlements as Spaces of Transformative Agency” project focuses on the Okerube community in Lagos to challenge dominant narratives and demonstrate how bottom-up, community-led governance models can deliver sustainable and inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) solutions in informal urban settlements.

Creating the conditions for change in Mathare informal settlement, Nairobi
SDI Kenya, through ACRC, is aiming to co-develop solutions with Mathare community members, by devising a holistic waste management system in the area.

How does action research build community and state capabilities?
This is the fourth in a series of blog posts focusing on how urban reform happens, and where ACRC fits into change processes. This post takes a closer look at how ACRC is helping build community capabilities to address urban challenges.

From Margins to Models: Co-creating climate resilience in Lagos community
“From Margins to Models” – a new ACRC action research project being rolled out in the vulnerable coastal informal settlement of Ajegunle Ikorodu, Lagos – seeks to unlock the potential of communities to enhance climate resilience.

Urban economics in action: Addressing African cities’ challenges
Earlier this month, our CEO Professor Diana Mitlin participated at the 9th Urbanization and Development Conference, organised by the World Bank and the International Growth Centre in Cape Town.

Land in her name: Legal titles transforming the lives of women in Nigeria’s Borno State
Through the Systematic Land Titling Project, women across informal settlements in Maiduguri are now registering their land – and receiving statutory rights in their own names.

Systems change for water and sanitation in informal settlements: The Mukuru Special Planning Area
The Mukuru Special Planning Area in Nairobi is home to a population of about 400,000. Akiba Mashinani Trust has partnered with ACRC to document the methodologies, systems and practices employed in expanding water and sanitation services in Mukuru Kwa Reuben through the Special Planning Area, while assessing the outcomes of these interventions.
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