Urban Africa Risk Knowledge (Urban ARK) is a three-year programme working in Dakar (Senegal), Ibadan (Nigeria), Karonga (Malawi), Mombasa and Nairobi (Kenya), and Niamey (Niger), to better understand the nature and scale of disaster risks in urban centres. By studying the interaction of environmental hazards – such as earthquakes and temperature extremes – in areas with poor housing and marginalised communities, the research aims to break the cycles by which vulnerability and the incapacity to cope with hazards accrue in society.

Led by Professor Mark Pelling of King’s College London, the project also engages the private sector and will work with community organisations and local research partners. Bringing together practitioners including Arup and Save the Children, the project will seek to provide recommendations to manage and reduce risk in these challenging urban environments.