Author archives: Rebecca Brown

During January Jamilla will be spending time in London with King’s College London and University College to further develop a rapid assessment tool developed by KDI for both local authority and non-governmental application as the basis for integrated and informed adaptive action. KDI is a key partner for the Urban ARK programme in Nairobi and more widely. KDI is a non-profit design and community development organization. Since January 2015, KDI, with the support of SwissRe Foundation has been working to integrate community knowledge of flood risk, vulnerability and adaptive practices with scientific data on flood risk. This work has consisted of multiple elements and methods and the aim of developing the rapid risk assessment tool is to help synthesise and streamline these into a core tool. During her time in London Jamilla will be developing the concept and methodology of the tool and collaborating with colleagues around the RemapRisk, data integration and visualisation and civil engineering elements. The aim is to develop the tool for application and testing in the field in mid-2017 as part of KDI’s ongoing programme in flood risk. Particular application is for assessing risk as the basis for public space and infrastructure projects. The tool also responds directly to requests from local authorities to support risk assessment and needs prioritisation. A broader aim of the fellowship is to examine the potential for applying and integrating local knowledge into development planning for upgrading of public infrastructure in low income areas, including a focus on disaster risk reduction and adaptive action. This fellowship and development of the tool are very closely aligned to Urban ARK’s aims, particularly its collaborative and applied nature.  To find out more about Jamilla’s fellowship please contact her through the KDI Kenya team directly or through the Urban ARK ‘Contact’ page. Watch this space for further updates on the fellowship and tool development!