The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021 outlines some significant impacts in many areas that are already apparent. The global extreme poverty rate rose for the first time in over 20 years, and 119 to 124 million people were pushed back into extreme poverty in 2020. There is a risk of a generational catastrophe regarding schooling, where an additional 101 million children have fallen below the minimum reading proficiency level, potentially wiping out two decades of education gains.

As recognized by the Paris Agreement, cities play an important role to mitigate and adapt to climate change as cities can mobilize strong and ambitious climate action. To ensure effective climate action, multi-level governance is essential as it calls for all state and non-state actors to act on climate change. Thus, multi-level governance holds immense power to assist urban areas in the Global South to enhance their resilience and grow in climate-friendly ways.

The Kalobeyei Photobook 2 builds upon the foundations of the first Kalobeyei Photobook published in 2016. It traces the progress of urbanization since the inception of the Kalobeyei Settlement in Turkana, Kenya, and captures discussions on thematic areas through the perspective of Turkana and Refugee youth. Like the first time, the youth utilized their skills in Photography and ICT, and contributed to the discussions which practitioners can heed moving forward.

For the blue economy to flourish in coastal cities, service provision challenges must be addressed alongside or as part of specific blue economy investments, as part of holistic programming, integrated with wider resilient urban planning and climate adaptation. It is intended that this report and the accompanying documents within this project portfolio provide a solid foundation for future urban blue economy planning across the region.