ICLEI Africa

It’s Day 3 of the #AfriFOODlinks consortium meeting! ? Today, we dove deep into City of Cape Town’s dynamic food system. Our field trips took us to two key food hubs, offering a glimpse into how the city’s rich history has shaped its modern-day food landscape—and how the present city environment, in turn, influences how we interact with food. The day began in the historic city centre, before moving to Belville, Cape Town's largest commercial hub, located 23km away. As a major transport node and a Pan-African food hub, Belville offers valuable insights into the intricate connections between food, culture, and community. We interacted with various food system actors, from informal food vendors, to the waste management systems and initiatives by The Greater Tygerberg Partnership. As part of the #AfriFOODlinks?Cape Town pilot project, SA Urban Food & Farming Trust has partnered with the city, implementing waste collection with informal vendors and piloting an organic waste programme in an effort to send zero organic waste to landfill by 2027. #AfriFOODlinks is using waste as an entry point for more transversal work in the food system. Stay tuned for more updates as we explore and learn together as a consortium #ThroughFood! ????? Tommorow we’re looking forward to city dialogues and an intergenerational panel! #CityFood #OurFoodStories #MyCityMyFood #KnowYourFood #Youthinit European Commission, ICLEI, ICLEI Europe, African Centre for Cities, African Population and Health Research Center, Hivos, Rikolto, ORIBI , SHONA, SA Urban Food & Farming Trust, L'Institut Agro Montpellier, University of Ghana, CIRAD, ACRA, EStà - Economia e Sostenibilità, WISEHUB, Rete Semi Rurali ETS, IRD, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology center for E-Learning

??Day 2 of the #AfriFOODlinks Consortium Meeting is here! ?? We’re ready for another day of reflection,? discussions and interactive sessions! ???? This gathering has proven to be an invaluable space for reconnection and knowledge exchange. ??One of the highlights? from day 1? was realising how far we’ve come in transforming the project’s vision into a cohesive and impactful body of work. Across all involved cities, there are layers of research, governance, and implementation projects that are starting to emerge and? align in meaningful and interesting ways. ?? Powerful insights were shared across multiple panel discussions, where project leads and city representatives highlighted the challenges and successes of their cities' food systems and their roles within the project. “The challenge is not just about financial resources, it’s about how city departments and mandates are structured that makes it really hard for city officials to work transversally on the food system”. - Rirhandzu Marivate, AfriFOODlinks Programme Manager, SAUFFT ??From ideas to cohesion, Day 1 offered a deep dive into the wealth of ideas emerging from the project, walking alongside city officials, youth ambassadors, and project partners to explore, absorb, and make sense of these concepts together.???? We look forward to a week of great insight and meaningful reflection. ??Stay tuned for more updates! European Commission, ICLEI, ICLEI Europe, African Centre for Cities, African Population and Health Research Center, Hivos, Rikolto, ORIBI , SHONA, SA Urban Food & Farming Trust, L'Institut Agro Montpellier, University of Ghana, CIRAD, ACRA, EStà - Economia e Sostenibilità, WISEHUB, Rete Semi Rurali ETS, IRD, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology center for E-Learning

OPPORTUNITY ALERT: Seeking a Market Access Community Engagement Partner to undertake clean cooking energy access data collection, community engagement, awareness-raising activities, and value-added services in informal settlements within the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA), Uganda. Indicate interest to bid: 29 November 2024 Submission of bids: 4 December 2024 ??Read the full Terms of Reference here: https://lnkd.in/dVN-sCtg Azizat 'Sola Gbadegesin, PhD David Sheridan Transforming Energy Access UK in Uganda Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (Uganda) The Carbon Trust MECS programme National Renewable Energy Platform (NREP) - Uganda #cleancooking #CleanCooking #CookingMadeEasy #eCooking #opportunity #Kampala #Uganda #communityengagement

?? Join the webinar: Multimodal Transport and Active Mobility for Inclusive, Accessible Cities????♂?????♀??? African cities are at a pivotal point, where the challenges of rapid urbanization meet the need for sustainable, equitable mobility systems. As urban populations grow, so do the demands on infrastructure and the urgency to design cities that serve everyone—pedestrians, cyclists, commuters, and more. This upcoming webinar invites you to learn from exciting cases from various contexts that reimagine multi-modal systems in urban mobility with enhanced active mobility strategies that reduce congestion, improve safety, and foster accessibility for all. Event Highlights: ? Principles of Inclusive Planning – Dive into essential practices for equitable urban design. ? Best Practices from Around the Globe – Learn from successful case studies and actionable solutions. ? Identifying & Overcoming Barriers – Tackle policy gaps, funding constraints, and collaboration hurdles. ? Collaborative Solutions – Explore strategies for fostering partnerships that advance accessible, people-centered mobility. ? Advocacy for Inclusive Policies – Join a network advocating for sustainable, integrated cities. Register now to be part of the conversation shaping the future of urban mobility in Africa. ??????♀? ?? Link: https://lnkd.in/d6QdpyXz #TRANSSAFE #RoadSafety #Africa

?? NEW BLOG: The ACWA Platform: Guiding Africa’s Cities Towards a Water-Resilient Future by Pablo Lazo, Aklilu Fikresilassie, PhD. and Kobie Brand. Water shortages affect 933M urban residents globally today, a number projected to reach 1.7B in coming years. African cities face particularly acute challenges, needing $66B annually by 2050 to meet water and sanitation targets - yet most are operating with severely limited per capita resources. In a major step forward at COP29, ICLEI Africa was named new host of the ACWA Platform Secretariat, bringing their powerful network of local leaders to strengthen water resilience initiatives across the continent. Cities like Addis Ababa, Johannesburg and Lagos are already tackling key challenges: ??? Rapid urbanization outpacing infrastructure ?? Limited per capita resources ??? Complex governance needs ??? Climate change impacts Learn how the ACWA is supporting resilient solutions: https://bit.ly/3UYtPU4 #ACWA #WaterResilience #Africa #cities #water #WasteManagement #COP29 #ClimateChange ICLEI

News from #COP29 ??? New Report on the Just Transition in South Africa Speaking at the South Africa pavilion in a session hosted by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), Michael Boulle unpacked the importance of addressing the just energy transition at the local level. An inclusive just transition that truly leaves no one behind requires a strategy built on strong stakeholder engagement. The Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), established in 2020, plays a key role in guiding South Africa’s national just transition. The newly launched report, developed by the PCC with support from ICLEI Africa, examines the role of stakeholder engagement efforts, laying a foundation and creating a platform for South Africa to work towards developing a just and people-centred transition. ?? Access the report here: https://lnkd.in/d-98CJWT The objectives of this report are to: ?? Assess how social partners understand and interpret the just transition; and ?? Understand how the PCC can strengthen its stakeholder engagement work, in building trust and social consensus on a just transition in South Africa. ICLEI Africa is also providing ongoing support to the just transition in a range of ways, including working closely with the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality in developing a chapter on the just transition in their Integrated Development Plan.? ?? For more information on the project, click here: https://lnkd.in/d-GgdmzX Hear directly from Dr Michael Boulle to learn more about the role of #localgovernments in advancing the just transition:? ??? https://lnkd.in/dUMdjd_j COP29 Azerbaijan #urban #justtransition

??? Today kicks off the #AfriFOODlinks consortium meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, hosted by ICLEI Africa. The meeting will be running until 29 November 2024! Our focus today is to critically reflect on the past two years of progress and discuss what this means for both the #AfriFOODlinks project and African urban food systems as a whole. ???? This week, we’ll dive deep into research findings, draw insights from the successes and lessons of our city-exchange programmes, engage with pilot project ideas, and foster knowledge-sharing across the project. ?We're excited for a week packed with impactful work, exploring Cape Town ???, and learning from each other's urban experiences. Stay tuned for more insights, highlights, and moments from the week! ?? #ThroughFood #CityFood #OurFoodStories #MyCityMyFood #KnowYourFood #Youthinit

A historic day for Local Governments at #COP29: CoM SSA Mayors bring the African perspective to the Third Annual Ministerial Meetings on Urbanisation and Climate Change For the first time, the opening plenary was followed by thematic roundtable discussions, providing a platform for over a dozen local and regional leaders to speak on pressing issues. Highlights from #CoMSSA included: ????? Transport and Infrastructure in Cities Mayor Manuel de Araújo of Quelimane (Mozambique), a member of the #CoMSSA Regional Mayors Forum, shared his pioneering work in promoting #bicycles as a preferred mode of transport. He highlighted how the transport sector has been among the most impacted by climate change, stressing that green urban transport is crucial for achieving equitable resilience in cities. He called for direct finance to help municipalities implement these essential changes. From Kenya, the Governor of Embu County Cecily Mbarire discussed her County’s solid #waste management plan and green infrastructure initiatives aimed at driving sustainable urban development. ???? Urban Climate Finance: Bridging National, Local Governments, and Financiers #CoMSSA Regional Mayors Forum Chairperson, the Mayor of Kloto 1 (Togo), Yawo Winny Dogbatse, emphasised that while local governments have ambitious, evidence-based climate plans, they often lack the funding to scale these plans into meaningful action. The Ministerial Meeting underscored key commitments and strategic actions to shape the road to #COP30 and beyond, including: 1?? The launch of the Multisectoral Action Pathways (MAP) for Resilient and Healthy Cities Declaration. 2?? The signing of the Baku Continuity Coalition on Urban and Multilevel Climate Action, an initiative connecting the presidencies of COP27, COP28, COP29, and COP30 in partnership with UN-Habitat. See the full overview in the latest Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency mailer here: https://lnkd.in/dyz5NTC8 ICLEI UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) C40 Cities COP29 Azerbaijan #CoMSSA is funded by European Commission Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) AGENCIA ESPA?OLA DE COOPERACION INTERNACIONAL PARA EL DESARROLLO - AECID CoM SSA is co-implemented by AGENCIA ESPA?OLA DE COOPERACION INTERNACIONAL PARA EL DESARROLLO - AECID Agence Fran?aise de Développement Expertise France Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH CoM SSA Secretariat is hosted by ICLEI Africa #COP29 #urban #cities #climateaction #transport #climatefinance

Join our team! We're looking to hire a Project Manager to support in the continued delivery of the #AfriFOODlinks project. ICLEI Africa's Food Systems portfolio works across multiple themes, including food access, food security, food safety, multi-level governance, value chain & life-cycle perspectives, sustainable procurement, entrepreneurship support and food sensitive urban planning. More info here: https://lnkd.in/eA2p7Wi #jobopenings #jobs #NGOjobs

?? At #COP29, Open Planet and the Wellcome Trust launched the film Climate and Health: Building Urban Resilience, showcasing the impact of multiple interlinked initiatives and projects, including the ICLEI Africa led INACCT Resilience project (funded by the CLARE Programme) and The Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA) project on implementing the Strengthening and Enhancing Contextual Urban Resilience (SECURe) framework in Durban, South Africa. ?? Watch the film here: https://lnkd.in/drAvkKns Screened during the Global Center on Adaptation session (hosted by Wellcome on November 18), the film tells the story of community members from Quarry Road West and Pholani informal settlements in Durban, who are harnessing creativity to confront climate challenges and build resilience by working in collaboration with the University of KwaZulu-Natal's WASH?R&D?Centre, ICLEI Africa, eThekwini Municipality and other partners. For example, through art and playdough, participants share their personal experiences of climate-related flooding and collaboratively design potential solutions to better protect their communities in the future. One of the film's key messages, and a core strength of INACCT, is the critical role of community engagement in climate resilience planning. Informal settlements, often located in high-risk areas, face intensified climate risks. As Dr Kate Leigh Strachan, PhD, ICLEI's Senior Manager of Climate Change Resilience emphasises in the film: communities are not only the most vulnerable to climate impacts but also the best sources of practical, context-specific insights that can guide resilience strategies. Beyond physical impacts, the film also sheds light on how climate change affects mental health, underscoring the need for holistic, inclusive solutions that address the many dimensions of climate impacts. Films like this remind us that resilience requires a shared commitment from everyone involved. By amplifying community voices and ideas, we can drive meaningful, long-lasting change on the ground. Components of this impactful initiative, that draw from the INACCT and ARA projects, have been made possible thanks to funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the ARA, who support climate resilience efforts through research and innovation, and through the dedication and collaboration from community members involved. #ClimateResilience #INACCTResilience #UrbanResilience #DurbanResilience #WellcomeTrust #COP29 #ICLEIAfrica #ClimateAction #LocalKnowledge