Urban ecosystem degradation across African cities is worsening health, livelihoods and vulnerability to climate risks for millions of slum dwellers. This programme supports community-led restoration in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe through the locally managed grant system Urban Ecostewards Grant Facility (UEGF). A co-developed research framework grounds the work in local knowledge and international standards, using research-to-action to drive advocacy and influencing policy.
Through participatory tools like slum mapping, youth media and settlement forums, communities will identify ecosystem degradation, build an evidence base for effective restoration and promote inclusive approaches to improve urban resilience, biodiversity and equity at scale.