Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (LIRA 2030)

The programme aims to foster research collaboration primarily among early career scientists based in Africa with no more than 10 years’ work experience following their PhDs, or equivalent research experience. A particular emphasis is on ensuring participation of low-income countries (based on OECD ODA’s ranking) in research collaboration.

The five-year research funding programme seeks to increase the production and use of solution-oriented, contextualized and policy-relevant knowledge on sustainable development in cities across Africa. The distinctive feature of the LIRA programme is that it promotes transdisciplinary (TD) research, which is a collaborative mode of knowledge production that is oriented towards specific societal challenges and integrates knowledge and perspectives from different scientific disciplines and non – academic stakeholders.

Through knowledge co-production, the LIRA programme seeks to grasp the complexity of urban challenges, to take in account the diversity of scientific and societal views of the problems, and to increase the use of the scientific evidence as a basis for urban policy development and practice.

To achieve its objectives, the LIRA programme supports African early career scientists to lead collaborative research projects that explore new approaches to re-thinking urban futures in Africa, in partnership with local authorities, communities, industry and government.

The LIRA 2030 programme supports its participants not only through grants, but also through training workshops, annual research forums and leadership and career advancement.

---

Training activities on integrated research

To achieve its objectives, the programme will provide training activities to strengthen scientific capacity in Africa to apply novel methodologies on co-design and co-production, and other relevant approaches required for undertaking high quality integrated research. Each training will also include modules on proposal development and science communication.

To identify participants for training, open calls for pre-proposals are launched. Representatives of successful pre-proposals are invited to participate in training workshops, following which participants are given 2-3 months to develop full proposals. Successful full proposals will receive 2-year research grants (see below). The training is an integral part of the grants in order to ensure that early career scientists have the necessary skills and knowledge to develop integrated research proposals and undertake this type of research. The first training workshop took place on 3-7 October 2016 in Nairobi 2016. The second training event took place in Kampala, at Makerere University, on 28 August- 1 September 2017.

In total, three training workshops will take place during the course of the programme. These will be delivered by ISC in partnership with ISC ROA and NASAC and other relevant institutions in Africa.

---

Collaborative research grants

The programme will provide two-year collaborative research grants (90 000 EUR each/2years) to foster research collaboration on global sustainability at the regional level by linking early career scientists across disciplines and countries. These grants will also support research co-design and co-production with stakeholders.

Only participants of the training activities on integrated research (see above) will be eligible to apply for the grants.

After 5 years, the programme aims to consolidate a network of over 30 integrated research projects on global sustainability. The research produced by these projects should provide the evidence and create tools to support decision-making on complex sustainability challenges in Africa. The knowledge will also be used to inform intergovernmental policy processes (e.g. Agenda 2030, the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, Habitat III, IPCC and others).

Two Africa-based institutions (NASAC and ISC ROA), will be managing the research funding scheme.

---

Annual Research Forums

The programme will organize annual research forums to foster collaboration and networking between the supported research projects. Projects’ representatives will be invited to attend these events to share their results and experience with their peers. These events are expected to promote scientific exchanges and forge new research collaboration among projects. To foster cross-regional collaboration and with non-academic stakeholders, representatives from other relevant global research projects, decision makers and practitioners will also be invited to attend. The events will also include capacity building activities to strengthen projects’ science communication and science advice to governments skills.

In total, three annual open research forums are planned to take place during the programme, organized by ISC ROA in partnership with the ISC and NASAC.

---

Leadership and career advancement

The programme will also provide international career development opportunities for the early career scientists supported by the programme by nominating them for international scientific committees and conferences, working groups, and inter-governmental policy processes.

---

Call for pre-proposals

Over the course of the programme, a total of three calls for pre-proposals were launched.

The first call focused on understanding the “Energy-Health-Natural Disasters” nexus in the urban context in Africa.

The second call was on Advancing the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 11 on cities in Africa.

The third call was on Pathways towards Sustainable African Urban Development.

To oversee the implementation and strategic development of the LIRA 2030 programme, an advisory committee was appointed in June 2016. This committee includes scientists from Africa, stakeholder representatives and leadership representatives of all partners involved:

• Cheikh Mbow – Executive Director: START International Inc.
• Nelson Sewankambo – Professor of Medicine and Principal, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda
• Nick Perkins – Director, SciDev.Net
• Peggy Oti-Boateng – Senior Programme Specialist for S&T and Coordinator ANSTI, UNESCO MSRO for Southern Africa
• Samuel Babatunde-Agbola – Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of the Social Sciences University of Ibada, Nigeria
• Shuaib Lwasa – Chair of the IRDR Science Committee, Department of Geography, Makerere University, Uganda
• Susan Parnell – Executive of the African Centre for Cities, Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa, former member of the Urban Health and Well-being Science Committee
• Elvin Nyukuri – early career scientist, University of Nairobi, Kenya, Centre for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law and Policy, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Heide Hackmann (ex-officio) – ISC Chief Executive Director
• Daniel Nyanganyura (ex-officio) – Director of ISC ROA
• Mathieu Denis (ex-officio) – ISC Science Director

The committee will meet every year to define the programme’s scientific strategy, make research funding decisions based on the review of research proposals and agree on the further development of the programme.

A management team composed of representatives of ISC, the ISC Regional Office for Africa and NASAC has been established to drive the implementation of the programme, taking into account decisions made by the advisory committee.

Since its inception in 2016, the programme has launched three open calls for pre-proposals:

1. Understanding the ‘energy-health’ and ‘health-natural disasters’ nexuses in African cities (2016);
2. Advancing the implementation of SDG11 in cities in Africa (2017); and
3. Pathways towards Sustainable Urban Development in Africa (2018).

As a result of these calls, the programme has supported 28 collaborative research projects (to the value of up to 90,000 Euro each over two years) seeking to address complex challenges in the African urban context. Each project brings together cities in at least two countries in Africa. The goal is to foster research collaboration across African research institutions and learning across cities. A particular emphasis is made on ensuring participation of low-income countries in research collaboration. Twenty-two countries in Africa are covered by the projects, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The LIRA programme also provides five-days training workshops for the Principle Investigators of short-listed projects in order to build their scientific capacity to undertake TD research, to support researchers to build meaningful inter- and trans-disciplinary projects, to support the development of full proposals and to strengthen science communication skills. Three workshops have taken place: in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 2016; in Kampala, Uganda, in August 2017; and in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, in September 2018. Around 100 early-career scientists from across Africa have received training. The programme also provides TD training activities to co-investigators of the selected projects.

LIRA 2030 Africa also provides opportunities for scientific exchange and for South–South and North–South research collaboration through Annual Research Forums. Three Forums have taken place: in Abuja, Nigeria in November 2017; in Dakar, Senegal in February 2019; and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in February 2020. Early-career scientists also have opportunities for career development through participation in international scientific committees and conferences, working groups and inter-governmental policy processes. For instance, during the 2016-2019 period, LIRA grantees were represented at the UN STI Forums, High-level Political Forums on Sustainable Development, the IPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference, the International Trans-disciplinary conferences and many others. Scientists had an opportunity to present their research, contribute to the dialogue, build new networks and collaborations.

• Projects funded in 2017
• Projects funded in 2018
• Projects funded in 2019

While there is a strong demand for integrated research, institutional and financial support is still insufficient, particularly in less developed countries. The 5-year programme seeks to increase global and regional institutional and financial support by engaging regional stakeholders in research, capacity building, and networking activities and by holding strategic meetings with funding agencies and key regional institutions. Therefore, if your organization is interested in supporting integrated research and associated capacity building and networking activities, please contact lira2030africa@council.science to discuss collaboration opportunities.

Below is the list of articles that have been published to date with the contribution of LIRA researchers. A number of manuscripts have been submitted for review and are yet to be published. 

1. Ablo, A. D. and Etale, A. 2022. Beyond technical: delineating factors influencing recycled water acceptability. Urban Water Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/1573062X.2022.2155847  

2. Ambole, A. 2020. Embedding design in transdisciplinary research: perspectives from urban Africa. Design Issues, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 28–40. https://doi.org/10.1162/desi_a_00588 

3. Ambole, A., Koranteng, K., Njoroge, P. and Luhangala, D. L. 2021. A review of energy communities in sub-Saharan Africa as a transition pathway to energy democracy. Sustainability, Vol. 13, No. 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042128 

4. Ambole, A., Musango, J. K., Buyana, K., Ogot, M., Anditi, C., Mwau, B., Kovacic, Z., Smit, S., Lwasa, S., Nsangi, G., Sseviiri, H. and Brent, A. C. 2019. Mediating household energy transitions through co-design in urban Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. Energy Research & Social Science, Vol. 55, pp. 208–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.05.009 

5. Antwi-Agyei, P., Dwumfour-Asare, B., Adjei, K. A., Kweyu, R. and Simiyu, S. 2020. Understanding the barriers and opportunities for effective management of shared sanitation in low-income settlements – the case of Kumasi, Ghana. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 17, No. 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124528    

6. Antwi-Agyei, P., Monney, I., Adjei, K. A., Kweyu, R. and Simiyu, S. 2022. Shared but clean household toilets: what makes this possible? Evidence from Ghana and Kenya. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 19, No. 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074271  

7. Bloem, S., Swilling, M. and Koranteng, K. 2021. Taking energy democracy to the streets: socio-technical learning, institutional dynamism, and integration in South African community energy projects. Energy Research & Social Science, Vol. 72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101906 

8. Buyana, K. 2019. Keeping the doors open: experimenting science–policy–practice interfaces in Africa for sustainable urban development. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, Vol. 35, pp. 539–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10901-019-09699-3 

9. Buyana, K. 2021. Do global pandemics disrupt or seed transformations in cities? A systematic review of evidence. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, Vol. 4, No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2021.100138.  

10. Buyana, K. 2022. Transgression in the energy infrastructure landscapes of cities. Landscape Research, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2022.2039108  

11. Buyana, K., Byarugaba, D., Sseviiri, H., Nsangi, G. and Kasaija, P. 2019. Experimentation in an African neighborhood: reflections for transitions to sustainable energy in cities. Urban Forum, Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 191–204. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-018-9358-z 

12. Buyana, K., Lwasa, S. and Kasaija, P. 2019. Gender ideologies and climate risk: how is the connection linked to sustainability in an African city? International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 16–30. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJSESD.2019010102 

13. Buyana, K., Lwasa, S., Tugume, D., Mukwaya, P., Walubwa, J., Owuor, S., Kasaija, P., Sseviiri, H., Nsangi, G. and Byarugaba, D. 2020. Pathways for resilience to climate change in African cities. Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 15, No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab7951 

14. Buyana, K., Walubwa, J., Mukwaya, P. et al. 2021. City residents, scientists and policy-makers: power in co-producing knowledge. Urban Transformations, Vol. 3, No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42854-021-00020-6  

15. Buyana, K., Walubwa, J.J.A., Mukwaya, P., Sseviiri, H., Byarugaba, D. and Nakyagaba, G.N. 2022. Global norms, African contexts: a framework for localizing SDGs in cities. Croese, S., Parnell, S. (eds), Localizing the SDGs in African Cities. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Cham, Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95979-1_3  

16. Campbell, C. A., Bartington, S. E., Woolley, K. E., Pope, F. D., Thomas, G. N., Singh, A., Avis, W. R., Tumwizere, P. R., Uwanyirigira, C., Abimana, P. and Kabera, T. 2021. Investigating cooking activity patterns and perceptions of air quality interventions among women in urban Rwanda. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 18, No. 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115984 

17. Croese, S., Dominique, M. and Raimundo, I. M. 2021. Co-producing urban knowledge in Angola and Mozambique: towards meeting SDG 11. npj Urban Sustainability, Vol. 1, No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-020-00006-6 

18. Ebikeme, C., Gatzweiler, F., Oni, T., Liu, J., Oyuela, A. and Siri, J. 2019. Xiamen Call for Action: building the brain of the city – universal principles of urban health. Journal of Urban Health, Vol. 96, No. 4, pp. 507–09. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-018-00342-0 

19. Elias, P. and de Albuquerque, J. P. 2022. Data and the localization of Sustainable Development Goals in Africa: the case of SDG 11 in Lagos and Accra. Croese, S., Parnell, S. (eds), Localizing the SDGs in African Cities. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Cham, Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95979-1_8 

20. Gatzweiler, F., Fu, B., Rozenblat, C., Su, H-J. J., Luginaah, I., Corburn, J., Boufford, J. I., Valdes, J. V., Nguendo-Yongsi, B., Howden-Chapman, P., Singh, R. B., Cooper, R., Oni, T. and Zhu, Y-G. 2020. COVID19 reveals the systemic nature of urban health globally. Cities & Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2020.1763761 

21. Kabera, T., Bartington, S., Uwanyirigira, C., Abimana, P. and Pope, F. 2020. Indoor PM_2.5 characteristics and CO concentration in households using biomass fuel in Kigali, Rwanda. International Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 77, No. 6, pp. 998–1011. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207233.2020.1732067 

22. Kareem, B., McClure, A., Walubwa, J., Koranteng, K., Mukwaya, P. I. and Taylor, A. 2022. Power dynamics in transdisciplinary research for sustainable urban transitions. Environmental Science & Policy, Vol. 131, pp. 135–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2022.02.001  

23. Kovacic, Z., Musango, J. K., Ambole, L. A., Buyana, K., Smit, S., Anditi, C., Mwau, B., Ogot, M., Lwasa, S., Brent, A. C., Nsangi, G. and Sseviiri, H. 2019. Interrogating differences: a comparative analysis of Africa’s informal settlements. World Development, Vol. 122, pp. 614–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.06.026 

24. Kouamé, P. K., Fokou, G., Koffi, A. J. D., Sani, A., Bonfoh, B. and Dongo, K. 2022. Assessing institutional stakeholders’ perception and limitations on coping strategies in flooding risk management in West Africa. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Vol. 19, No. 11, 6933. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116933    

25. Kushitor, S. B., Alimohammadi, S. and Currie, P. 2022. Narrative explorations of the role of the informal food sector in food flows and sustainable transitions during the COVID-19 lockdown. PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, Vol. 1, No. 12, e0000038. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000038 

26. Kushitor, S. B., Badu, M., Kushitor, M. K. and Currie, P. 2022. Access to market infrastructure and its effect on food handling and food safety among vegetable traders in an African city. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.724190     

27. Langa, Z.V., Kushitor, S.B., Koen, N. and Harper, J. 2022. Exploring the development of change agents for sustainability: outcomes of the Listen, Live and Learn initiative at Stellenbosch University. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 23 No. 8, pp. 309–23. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-01-2022-0029  

28. Mejía-Dugand, S., Croese, S. and Reddy, S. A. 2020. SDG implementation at the local level: lessons from responses to the coronavirus crisis in three cities in the Global South. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, Vol. 2. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2020.598516    

29. Morgner, C., Ambole, A., Anditi, C. et al. 2020. Exploring the dynamics of social networks in urban informal settlements: the case of Mathare Valley, Kenya. Urban Forum, Vol. 31, pp. 489–512. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-020-09389-2 

30. Mutumbi, U., Thondhlana, G. and Ruwanza, S. 2021. Reported behavioural patterns of electricity use among low-income households in Makhanda, South Africa. Sustainability, Vol. 13, No. 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137271 

31. Mutumbi, U., Thondhlana, G. and Ruwanza, S. 2022. Co-designed interventions yield significant electricity savings among low-income households in Makhanda South Africa. Energies, Vol. 15, 2320. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15072320 

32. Mutumbi, U., Thondhlana, G. and Ruwanza, S. 2022. The status of household electricity use behaviour research in South Africa between 2000 and 2022. Energies, Vol. 15, 9018. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15239018  

33. Muzenda, T., Dambisya, PM., Kamkuemah, M., Gausi, B., Battersby, J. and Oni, T. 2022. Mapping food and physical activity environments in low- and middle-income countries: a systematised review. Health Place, Vol. 75, 102809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102809   

34. Mwandila, G., Mwanza, M., Sikhwivhilu, K., Siame, J., Mutanga, S. S. and Simposya, A. 2021. Modeling energy requirements for a biogas-supported decentralized water treatment systems for communities in Chambishi (Zambia) and Diepsloot (South Africa) townships. Renewable Energy Focus, Vol. 37, pp. 20–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ref.2021.02.003  

35. Ndebele-Murisa, M. R., Mubaya, C. P., Pretorius, L., Mamombe, R., Iipinge, K., Nchito, W., Mfune, J. K., Siame, G. and Mwalukanga, B. 2020. City to city learning and knowledge exchange for climate resilience in southern Africa. PLoS ONE, Vol. 15, No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227915 

36. Nguendo-Yongsi, B., Muzenda, T., Bertrand Djouda Feudjio, Y., Kenfack Momo, D.N and Oni, T. 2022. Intersectoral collaboration for healthier human settlements: perceptions and experiences from stakeholders in Douala, Cameroon. Cities & Health, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 602–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2022.2078071  

37. O’Farrell, P., Anderson, P., Culwick, C., Currie, P., Kavonic, J., McClure, A., Ngenda, G., Sinnott, E., Sitas, N., Washbourne, C., Audouin, M., Blanchard, R., Egoh, B., Goodness, J., Kotzee, I., Sanya, T., Stafford, W. and Wong, G. 2019. Towards resilient African cities: shared challenges and opportunities towards the retention and maintenance of ecological infrastructure. Global Sustainability, Vol. 2. https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2019.16 

38. Odume, O. N., Amaka-Otchere, A., Onyima, B., Aziz, F., Kushitor, S. and Thiam, S. 2021. Pathways, contextual and cross-scale dynamics of science-policy-society interactions in transdisciplinary research in African cities. Environmental Science & Policy, Vol. 125, pp. 116–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2021.08.014 

39. Odume, O. N., Onyima, B. N., Nnadozie, C. F., Omovoh, G. O., Mmachaka, T., Omovoh, B. O., Uku, J. E., Akamagwuna, F. C. and Arimoro, F. O. 2022. Governance and institutional drivers of ecological degradation in urban river ecosystems: insights from case studies in African cities. Sustainability, Vol. 14, No. 21, 14147. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114147  

40. Oni, T., Kockat, J., Martinez-Herrera, E., Palti, I., Johns, A. and Caiaffa, W. T. 2019. The healthcare community needs to champion healthy and sustainable urban living spaces. The BMJ Opinion. https://bit.ly/340kfmz  

41. Oni, T., Mogo, E., Ahmed, A. and Davies, J. I. 2019. Breaking down the silos of universal health coverage: towards systems for the primary prevention of non-communicable diseases in Africa. BMJ Global Health. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001717   

42. Opiyo, R., Osano, P., Mbandi, A., Apondo, W. and Muhoza, C. 2020. Using citizen science to assess cumulative risk from air and other pollution sources in informal settlements. Clean Air Journal, Vol. 30, No. 1. https://doi.org/10.17159/caj/2020/30/1.8374  

43. Prins, F. X., Etale, A., Dziwornu, A. and Thatcher, A. 2022. Water scarcity and alternative water sources in South Africa: can information provision shift perceptions? Urban Water Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/1573062X.2022.2026984  

44. Sanfo, S., Neya, O., Da, S., Salack, S., Amikuzuno, J., Gandaa, B. Z., Hackman, K. O. and Ogunjobi, K. O. 2021. Waste recycling and repurposing to address SDG 11 in Burkina Faso: do multi-stakeholder platforms matter? Croese, S. et al. (eds), Realizing the SDGs in African Cities. Springer Nature. 

45. Sesan, T., Sanfo, S., Sikhwivhilu, K., Dakyaga, F., Aziz, F., Yirenya-Tawiah, D., Badu, M., Derbile, E., Ojoyi, M., Ibrahim, B. and Adamou, R. 2021. Mediating knowledge co-production for inclusive governance and delivery of food, water and energy services in African cities. Urban Forum. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-021-09440-w 

46. Sesan, T. and Siyanbola, W. 2021. “These are the realities”: insights from facilitating researcher-policymaker engagement in Nigeria’s household energy sector. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Vol. 8, No. 73. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00754-5 

47. Shackleton, E., Taylor, A., Gammage, L., Gillson, L., Sitas, N., Methner, N., Barmand, S., Thorn, J., McClure, A., Cobban, L., Jarre, A., and Odume, O.N. 2023. Fostering transdisciplinary research for equitable and sustainable development pathways across Africa: what changes are needed?, Ecosystems and People, Vol. 19. No. 1, 2164798, DOI: 10.1080/26395916.2022.2164798    

48. Sherbinin, A., Bowser, A., Chuang, T., Cooper, C., Danielsen, F., Edmunds, R., Elias, P., Faustman, E., Hultquist, C., Mondardini, R., Popescu, I., Shonowo, A. and Sivakumar, K. 2021. The critical importance of citizen science data. Frontiers in Climate. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2021.650760    

49. Sikhwivhilu, K., Mutanga, S. and Siame, J. 2020. Understanding the ‘water-energy-health’ nexus in urban contexts in Africa: towards biogas-supported decentralized water treatment system for communities in Diepsloot (South Africa) and Chambishi (Zambia) townships. Pretoria, Africa Institute of South Africa. ISBN: 978-0-7983-0480-1 

50. Sikosana, M. L., Sikhwivhilu, K., Moutloali, R. and Madyira, D. M. 2019. Municipal wastewater treatment technologies: a review. Procedia Manufacturing, Vol. 35, pp. 1018–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2019.06.051  

51. Simiyu, S., Antwi-Agyei, P., Adjei, K. and Kweyu, R. 2021. Developing and testing strategies for improving cleanliness of shared sanitation in low-income settlements of Kisumu, Kenya. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Vol. 105, No. 6, pp. 1816–25. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-1634  

52. Simiyu, S. N., Kweyu, R. M., Antwi-Agyei, P. and Adjei, K. A. 2020. Barriers and opportunities for cleanliness of shared sanitation facilities in low-income settlements in Kenya. BMC Public Health, Vol. 20, pp. 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09768-1 

53. Thiam, S., Aziz, F., Kushitor, S. B., Amaka-Otchere, A. B. K., Onyima, B. N. and Odume, O. N. 2021. Analyzing the contributions of transdisciplinary research to the global sustainability agenda in African cities. Sustainability Science, Vol. 16, pp. 1923–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-021-01042-6 

54. Thondhlana, G., Mubaya, C. P., McClure, A., Amaka-Otchere, A.B.K. and Ruwanza, S. 2021. Facilitating urban sustainability through transdisciplinary (TD) research: lessons from Ghana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Sustainability, Vol. 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116205  

55. Tidwell, J., Chipungu, J., Ross, I., Antwi-Agyei, P., Alam, M. U., Tumwebaze, I. K., Norma G., Cumming, O. and Simiyu, S. 2020. Where shared sanitation is the only immediate option: a research agenda for shared sanitation in densely populated low-income urban settings. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Vol. 104, No. 2, pp. 429–32. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-0985 

56. Tshililo, P. T., Mutanga, S., Sikhwivhilu, K., Siame, J., Hongoro, C., Managa, L. R., Mbohwa, C. and Madyira, D. M. 2022. Analysis of the determinants of household’s water access and payments among the urban poor. A case study of Diepsloot Township. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, Vol. 127, 103183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2022.103183  

57. Vearey, J., Luginaah, I., Magitta, N. F., Shilla, D. J. and Oni, T. 2019. Urban health in Africa: a critical global health priority. BMC Public Health, Vol. 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6674-8  

58. Visagie, J. and Turok, I. 2020. Getting urban density to work in informal settlements in Africa. Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 13, No. 2. http://doi.org/10.1177/0956247820907808 

59. Visagie, J., Turok, I. and Misselhorn, M. 2020. Upgrading dense informal settlements by building upwards: lessons from an informal settlement in Durban, South Africa. HSRC Policy Brief Series. May 2020. https://repository.hsrc.ac.za/handle/20.500.11910/15420  

60. Vodounon, H., Azalou-Tingbé, E., Houedakor, K., Amoussou, E., Nantob, M., Adoho, G. and Odoulami, L. 2021. Alternative sanitation and strategic directives for the well water security in Cotonou (Benin) and Lomé (Togo). Journal of Water Resource and Protection, Vol. 13, pp. 675–98. https://doi.org/10.4236/jwarp.2021.139036 

61. Vodounon, H. S. T., Houedakor, K. Z., Amoussou, E. and Dossou-Yovo, A. C. 2021. Effects of urban metabolism on the well water quality in Cotonou (Benin) and Lomé (Togo). Journal of Water Resource and Protection, Vol. 13, pp. 539–62. https://doi.org/10.4236/jwarp.2021.138030 

62. Wantim, M. N., Fon Peter, N., Eyong, N. J., Zisuh, A. F., Yannah, M., Lyonga, M. R., Yenshu, E. V. and Ayonghe, S. N. 2022. Flood Hazard and Its Associated Health Impacts in Limbe Health District, Cameroon. African Journal of Health Sciences. Vol. 35, No. 4 (2022)  

63. Weimann, A., Kabane, N., Jooste, T., Hawkridge, A., Smit, W. and Oni, T. 2020. Health through human settlements: investigating policymakers’ perceptions of human settlement action for population health improvement in urban South Africa. Habitat International, Vol. 103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2020.102203 

64. Weimann, A., Nguendo-Yongsi, B., Foka, C., Waffo, U., Carbajal, P., Sietchiping, R. and Oni, T. 2020. Developing a participatory approach to building a coalition of transdisciplinary actors for healthy urban planning in African cities – a case study of Douala, Cameroon. Cities & Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2020.1741966 

65. Weimann, A. and Oni, T. 2019. A systematised review of the health impact of urban informal settlements and implications for upgrading interventions in South Africa, a rapidly urbanising middle-income country. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 16, No. 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16193608 

66. Woolley, K.E., Bagambe, T., Singh, A., Avis, W.R., Kabera, T., Weldetinsae, A., Mariga, S.T., Kirenga, B., Pope, F.D., Thomas, G.N. and Bartington, S.E. 2020. Investigating the association between wood and charcoal domestic cooking, respiratory symptoms and acute respiratory infections among children aged under 5 years in Uganda: a cross-sectional analysis of the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 17, No. 11, 3974. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113974  

67. Wolley, K., Bartington, S. E., Pope, F. D., Price, M. J., Thomas, G. N. and Kabera, T. 2020. Biomass cooking carbon monoxide levels in commercial canteens in Kigali, Rwanda. Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, Vol. 76, No. 2, pp. 75–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/19338244.2020.1761279 

---

• Scientific publications under the spotlight for LIRA2030 meeting in Addis Ababa
• Nine projects led by African early-career scientists funded under the LIRA 2030 Africa programme
• LIRA2030 Annual Research Forum begins in Dakar, Senegal
• Call for scientific and non-academic reviewers for LIRA2030
• Early career scientists from Africa gather for LIRA transdisciplinary workshop in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
• News from LIRA2030: Seedbeds of Transformation conference, South Africa
• Announcing 2018’s funded projects for the LIRA 2030 programme
• Call for pre-proposals: Pathways towards Sustainable African Urban Development
• Scientific Advisory Committee of the LIRA programme meets in Lilongwe, Malawi
• INGSA-Africa Chapter Holds Pre-AMASA 13 Learning Collaborative Workshop in Abuja, Nigeria
• Call for scientific and non-academic reviewers for LIRA 2030
• Early career scientists gather for LIRA trans-disciplinary workshop in Uganda
• Call for pre-proposals: Advancing the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 11 on cities in Africa