FRACTAL seeks to constantly engage with relevant communities around the world on topics related to cutting-edge thinking on climate science, climate change adaptation and resilient development, particularly in the city-region context. For updates on FRACTAL-related activities and news, see below.
FRACTAL’s first city learning labs
Breakaway group discussion during the Lusaka learning labs
City learning labs are series of multi-stakeholder forums and shared learning processes convened to frame and work towards solving the “burning issue” in each city. The “burning issue” is a context-specific, relevant problem that will likely be exacerbated by climate change in the future, through which stakeholders in the city-regions will interact with FRACTAL research. FRACTAL’s first city learning lab was undertaken in Lusaka in September 2016. Through this lab, the burning issue for Lusaka was identified as the broad theme of water in peri-urban areas, focussing on sanitation, groundwater recharge, drinking water for the broader Lusaka area, flooding and solid waste. Dialogues on this burning issue are expected to continue in Lusaka in January 2017. The first Windhoek learning labs are expected to take place at the end of January 2017, while the first Maputo learning labs are expected to occur in February 2017.
City visits
Blantyre, Gaborone and Harare were visited during September and October 2016 to initiate FRACTAL-related activities and engagements in these cities. Agreements and operations are currently being finalised with organisations and stakeholders in these cities.
Downtown Blantyre city
Adaptation Learning Exchange: Maputo and Durban
A new initiative from the Global Adaptation Network (GAN) was launched in 2016 to connect practitioners working on adaptation, and to facilitate learning. The EThekwini Municipality, together with ICLEI Africa (a FRACTAL project partner), received a grant for a city exchange linked to FRACTAL. The city exchange focuses on four cities in Mozambique including Maputo (a FRACTAL City). A delegation of Durban engineers and natural infrastructure-focused experts as well as an ICLEI officer, who works in the field of climate change adaptation and coastal management, will visit the four Mozambican cities (Pemba, Nacala, Quelimane and Maputo). Accompanying the delegation will be two officials from the Kinondoni Municipality (Tanzania) who oversee mangrove restoration projects there. This will effectively become a four-way exchange with learning outcomes for all sets of participants.
FCFA at COP22
At the COP 22, SouthSouthNorth and the Met Office UK (a FRACTAL partner), brought together a diverse panel of experts to discuss how Africa can increase its climate resilience in the face of increasing vulnerability to extremes. This event looked at how innovative science and services are helping people across a broad range of contexts deal with key challenges. FRACTAL’s Richard Jones (Met Office UK) participated on the panel at this event. Outputs from this event will be shared on the FCFA website soon.