When the spread of COVID-19 accelerated in India, the informal economy and migrant workers were significantly impacted. However the government’s response schemes did not focus on their needs. For these vulnerable populations, it was not easy to follow the official guidelines for preventing virus spread. They experience precarious living conditions, shared water supplies, insecure food […]
Tag: inequality
Supporting trade unions in Malawi to improve disability inclusion
Tackling social disadvantage and inequality is at the core of Heriot-Watt’s GCRF strategy. The inclusion of workers with disabilities is a challenge in Scotland as well as in Malawi. A networking grant in 2018-19 established partnerships of researchers and trade unionists in both countries who are committed to tackling this challenge. The work has been […]
Digital inclusion helps refugee communities respond to pandemic.
Heriot-Watt University researchers have created a mobile phone app to help refugee communities in Malaysia to access advice and resources. The app has been developed in close partnership with Aspire Penang, an NGO based in Penang, Malaysia, which works closely with the refugee community. It has also been supported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Dr Gina Netto, of The Urban Institute, […]
Partnerships for smart cities
Professor Harry Smith was invited to the Seventh World Urban Forum in Medellin, Colombia in 2014. There he established contacts with Universidad Nacional de Colombia that later gave rise to three important projects: Mitigation of landslide risks in informal settlements in Medellin Landslide risk management strategies through the development of community-based infrastructure in Latin American […]
Covid-19 meets indigenous knowledge
The Covid-19 pandemic created special challenges for indigenous communities around the world. Their beliefs affect their experience of the disease and how they respond to external advice. Dr Agnessa Spanellis worked with Colombian researchers to bridge indigenous beliefs with official guidance. The Department of Choco on the Pacific Coast of Colombia is one of the poorest […]
Resilience or Resistance? Negotiated mitigation of landslide risks
Communities in informal settlements around Medellin or São Paulo live at constant risk of losing their homes to landslide. Built on steep slopes, with limited infrastructure, a severe rainstorm can cause devastation to these communities. The research team worked to empower local communities to assess their own risks and take mitigating action to make their […]