Co-building trust in urban nature: Learning from participatory design and construction of Nature-Based Solutions in informal settlements in East Africa

Abstract

While the amount of research on NBS is growing rapidly, there is a lack of evidence on community experiences of NBS design and implementation, particularly from low-income and informal settlements of African cities. This article adds new empirical evidence in this space through grounded analysis of NBS “niche” projects co-developed by intermediary organizations and communities in five sites across three settlements in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. Findings are organized around four established NBS knowledge gaps: (1) NBS-society relations; (2) Design; (3) Implementation; (4) Effectiveness. We find that across the five studied sites, residents' perceptions and valuation of urban nature has changed through processes of co-design and co-implementation, enabling community ownership of projects, and hence playing a crucial role in NBS effectiveness over time. The integration of gray components into green infrastructure to create hybrid systems has proven necessary to meet physical constraints and communities' urgent needs such as flood mitigation. However, maintenance responsibilities and cost burdens are persisting issues that highlight the complex reality of NBS development in informal settlements. The cases highlight key considerations for actors involved in NBS development to support the replication, scaling up and institutionalization of NBS. These include the need to: (i) develop forms of engagement that align with co-production values; (ii) capture communities' own valuation of and motivations with NBS development for integration into design; (iii) elaborate technical guidance for hybrid green-gray infrastructure systems that can be constructed with communities; and (iv) help define and establish structures for maintenance responsibilities (especially governmental vs. civil society) that will enhance the environmental stewardship of public spaces.

Nature for resilience reconfigured: global-to-local translation of frames in Africa

“…While this study contributed to the understanding of the translation process of global frames of urban nature to African cities, further research should investigate issues of power between actors of various levels in the translation process, and the socio-material implications for the distribution of benefits and burdens of NBSs as outcomes of these processes. Research on NBSs in African informal settlements is nascent and policymakers remain sceptical of the feasibility of working with nature in this context (Diep et al 2022). The paper has started making important inroads in demonstrating what strategies and associated practices for informal settlements in Africa are deemed relevant by actors at various levels.…”

“…Creating new public space could also have been complex to implement as it may have necessitated land reallocation. However, flood risk reduction through public green space in flood hotspots was found an appropriate measure in Kibera, Nairobi (Diep et al 2022), thus it would be valuable to research this further to propose contextualised and evidence-based solutions for Lilongwe.…”

A framework for assessing social structure in community governance of sustainable urban drainage systems: insights from a literature review

“…This process not only facilitates open communication but also supports the building of trust between community members and decision-makers. Trust becomes pivotal in fostering an environment where collaboration and cooperation are the norm, not the exception (Diep et al 2022). This, in turn, nurtures a sense of ownership and responsibility among community members, encouraging active participation in decision-making processes that directly impact the implementation of SUDS in their living spaces.…”

A review of the contribution of nature-based solutions to the urban metabolism of the informal settlements

“…Informal settlements are characterized by nestedness and interdependence on natural ecosystems and green spaces for some of their daily basic needs [14]. In that regard, inhabitants of the informal settlements relate to natural ecosystems by implementing nature-based solutions (NBS) initiatives from green and blue spaces for ecosystem benefits such as climate regulation (shades in hot weather and flood control) provisioning (water, energy, food) and social-cultural [15] [16]. On the other hand, NBS has been contributing to the urban metabolism (UM) of informal settlements through the provision of material goods such as water, energy, and food [11] [17].…”

“…Researchers emphasise the crucial need to understand how inhabitants of informal settlements interact with nature to achieve environmentally sustainable cities -as well as the perception of the residents of informal settlements and city authorities about the ecosystem benefits they provide [17] [21]. NBS has contributed to the urban metabolism (UM) of the informal settlement and there is a need for data on existing NBS initiatives [15] [23]. Borrowing the definition from Currie & Musango [22], UM can be define as the "complexity of socio-technical and socio-ecological processes by which flows of materials, energy, people, and information shape the city, service & the needs of its populace, & impact the surrounding hinterland".…”