Digital Solutions for More Climate Resilient Informal Areas in Namibia

Abstract

The UNITAC project “Just transitions in vulnerable places – Digital solutions for more climate resilient informal areas in Namibia” is in the process of prototyping digital tools with local authorities. With funding from BMZ, the aim of this project is to improve the information base for effectively enhancing climate resilience of informal settlements through mapping, data collection, data management, data governance and provision of climate smart basic infrastructure in informal settlements. Vulnerable to worsening conditions of drought and flooding, Namibian towns are experiencing a broad and fast shift from a rural to an urban society. And according to predictions, 30–40% of Namibians live in informal settlements, accounting for most of the country's urban expansion (Watermeyer, 2020). Residents of informal settlements need basic services and secure livelihoods. The process of building resilience goes hand in hand with the upgrading program of informal areas where data gathering through enumerations and mapping play an important role (Satterthwaite, 2020); it also involves developing disaster risk management at a settlement level (Iftekhar, 2022) and taking community as the core stakeholder to ensure inclusiveness and equity (Dodman, 2018). This presentation will share case studies from two partner towns in the ideation phase of the design thinking process. The process for identifying and selecting local interventions with the local authorities, stakeholders and communities, as well as how they contributed to the development of digital tools will be presented.