26 research outputs found
Next Generation Researchers as an Engine for Asia-Africa Knowledge Sharing on Sustainable Development
No full textMoving towards urban sustainability in Kenya: A framework for integration of environmental, economic, social and governance dimensions
No full textGlobal urban development is increasingly becoming an aspect of focus as nations fight sustainability challenges. A review of the current literature on urban sustainability suggests that research on development of cities, in both developed and developing countries, is growing fast, with an emphasis on sustainable development. However, very little of this research contains an integrated framework to systematically identify and examine the various dimensions of urban sustainability and to measure and evaluate them appropriately. Cities are more than the sum of their sectors, and are complex and interdependent systems on whose dynamics the quality of life of millions of human beings and a good part of the economy depend. Environmental, economic, social and governance problems can create formidable barriers to urban sustainability. Governance remains a critically important dimension of urban sustainability, especially when discussing urbanization in developing countries, given rapid population movements and imbalances in socio-economic development. Understanding how cities function is fundamental to resolving these imbalances. The aim of this paper is to provide a review and analysis of the concept of urban sustainability and to propose the development of a holistic framework through integration of environmental, economic, social, and governance dimensions of sustainability. Such a review would make it possible to understand the complex dynamics of the four dimensions and to assess the progress and challenges in moving towards urban sustainability, taking the case of Nairobi, Kenya, as an example. The paper argues that, for urban sustainability in developing countries, more emphasis should be placed on the governance dimension, because this is where the biggest challenge exists, with increasing needs for immediate management of rapid urbanization.</p
Microcredit for the Development of the Bottom of the Pyramid Segment: Impact of Access to Financial Services on Microcredit Clients, Institutions and Urban Sustainability
No full textThe focus of microcredit for the bottom of the pyramid segment in urban areas is increasingly becoming an area of focus as development policy-makers work towards improving the lifestyles of urban poor. Previous research has had a keen focus on the impacts of financial services to business outcomes, leaving behind other equally vital aspects of development. In addition, very little of this research has focused on socio-economic and sustainability outcomes in urban areas. Using randomized controlled trials, this paper measures the impacts of microcredit to selected groups of people in Kibera slum in Nairobi city, using a combination of double difference and propensity score matching techniques to evaluate the impacts of these financial services on businesses, households, micro-finance institutions and urban sustainability outcomes. While the paper finds little evidence on urban sustainability outcomes, there is a significant, although small, improvement on business and households outcomes
Understanding the Grassroots Dynamics of Slums in Nairobi: The Dilemma of Kibera Informal Settlements
No full textA lot of literature on urban development in developing countries has entirely focused on the nexus between rapid urbanization, Gross Geographic Product (GGP) and poverty growth with little research that demonstrates what this impacts on urban sustainability especially with increasing slums in rapidly urbanizing African countries. Available research has focused entirely on increasing poverty level in urban Africa and its mitigation without a clear direction on what this means to slums improvement and urban sustainability. This papers aims to give a conceptual analysis that will help to understand the dynamics of urban sustainability and slums development. The historical perspectives and current realities of Kibera slums in Nairobi are reviewed
Microfinance for the Urban Bottom of the Pyramid Segment in Nairobi’s Kibera Slum in Kenya: Does Financial Training Impact on Sustainable Urban Development?
No full textAlthough mainstream research on investing in the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) segment focus heavily on investors’ expected returns, there is less focus on the fast increasing gap on the role of financial training in the academic literature. In addition, there is a lack of deliberate focus on the wellbeing and success of targeted micro-entrepreneurs research in the development arena. This is despite the fact that mainstream debates on the topic often centre on the ample literature that illustrates the importance of investing in the BOP segment. Furthermore, current literature is enormously concerned with business and financial institutions’ performance and their impact to development and has very little mention about the nexus between financial training and household’s development, business, and financial institutional performance and urban sustainability. Using non-randomized control trials, this research measures the impact of financial training to selected groups in Kibera slum using a combination of double difference and propensity score matching approaches. In the study, the treatment group received financial training while the control group did not and the two groups were followed for 12 months. The study’s evaluation results find little or no evidence on sustainability outcomes but a significant and small improvement on business, households and microfinance institutions’ outcomes
Next Generation Researchers as an Engine for Asia-Africa Knowledge Sharing on Sustainable Development
No full textdepartmental bulletin pape
Social sustainability: a review of indicators and empirical application
No full textAs one of the three pillars of sustainable development, social sustainability has received little attention compared to the economic and environmental pillars. The major reason accounting for the neglect is attributed to its contested nature. This has culminated in the current conceptual understanding of the term. Previous efforts on social sustainability have concentrated on theoretical interpretations rather than quantification assessment. This is because quantifying social sustainability is regarded a daunting task. Meanwhile, indicators are disparate which makes understanding even more confusing. To enrich our knowledge on the term, definitional assessment and indicator synthesis and application will play a major role. The objective of this paper is to review the indicators of social sustainability and empirically apply them using the composite index approach. The review uniquely identified three dimensions (sub components) of social sustainability - representation mechanism, collective state and individual access. Empirical application in Kibera in Kenya, depicted a medium level of social sustainability. The highest contributing sub component was collective state with the least being representation mechanism. The study results evidently suggest policy support for inclusive governance, improved housing, job creation, security, education and community trust. It is believed that addressing these diverse issues will enhance social sustainability in Kibera
Access to microfinance and financial training for innovative urban sustainability collective investments at the bottom of the pyramid segment in urban Kenya
No full textUrban Sustainability, Microfinance Technologies and Public Services: The Case of Nairobi, Kenya
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