In this issue: all about cities with the Barbara Ward Lecture, new urban research, and Habitat III

October 2016

Jack of all trades, master of the urban agenda

IIED's Barbara Ward Lecture celebrates outstanding women in development. This year it will be held on 11 October and will be given by champion of urban climate action Debra Roberts, Head of the Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives portfolio in Durban, South Africa.

Only a few tickets to the lecture remain, so register for your place now.

News and blogs

New research funded to study local markets in the context of urban crises

Five new research projects have received funding under the Urban Crises Learning Fund, a three-year project that aims to build an understanding of how the humanitarian sector can most effectively operate in urban settings.

The shifting power of cities

This guest blog from Daniel Hoornweg, associate professor in the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, discusses the massive shift that is happening in cities across the globe. Low income cities are experiencing exponential population growth and must find sustainable ways to grow.

Spotlight on... IIED at Habitat III

There is growing global recognition of the role that cities need to play if we are to transition to a more just, inclusive and sustainable future, and a key attempt to shape the future of urban development is Habitat III. This is the third in a series of international meetings that began in 1976 to secure commitments to the sustainable development of human settlements.

Habitat III will be held in Quito, Ecuador from 17–20 October, and will seek to establish pledges and obligations that will be known as the 'new urban agenda'. This will set the new global strategy for urbanisation over the next two decades.

IIED is engaging with Habitat III in a number of ways with partners from across the globe.

New publications this month

In 2013, Tacloban city, Philippines, was devastated by typhoon Haiyan. Despite crippling damage, the local government coordinated recovery efforts for a better, more resilient city.

'Tacloban after Haiyan: working together towards recovery' describes the experience, challenges, successes and lessons of the Tacloban city government as the city transitioned from the humanitarian response to the recovery and development phases following the disaster.

Lebanon’s refugee crisis has highlighted the need for closer coordination among the various actors involved in the response. 'Responding to the Syrian crisis in Lebanon: collaboration between aid agencies and local governance structures' argues that humanitarians will only be able to ensure their responses are sustainable and meet needs on the ground if they work closely with local authorities.

In January 2016 Ghana hosted a multi-stakeholder ‘action dialogue’ on artisanal and small-scale mining, the first of a global dialogue series planned by IIED to facilitate the rights-based formalisation of ASM within a more inclusive and responsible mining sector.
'Artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Ghana: Evidence to inform an Action Dialogue' provides background research on ASM in Ghana to inform the dialogue — giving an overview of the sector, identifying the barriers to formalisation, and offering ‘ways forward’.

Briefings

Rethinking investment treaties to advance human rights

Migrant and refugee transit: the role of local authorities in humanitarian response

Five considerations for national evaluation agendas informed by the SDGs

Enhanced local coordination for effective aid provision: the case of Lebanon

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