In the late 2000s, the forest cover along the western edge of the Kenyan Great Rift Valley was dwindling, reducing its ability to mitigate floods, regulate river flow, recharge groundwater and purify water.  Today, the forest is coming back, thanks to community initiatives led by civil society groups such as Transformers CBO, whose bootcamp training by Yetu – a partnership between the Aga Khan Foundation and USAID – enabled it to establish key partnerships and raise US$ 100,000 to meet its environmental conservation goals.

Despite mass lockdowns and social distancing measures imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, urban planners and designers have continued work to support vulnerable communities around the world. The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat looked into the experience of some leading urban planning practitioners in the developing world for lessons on how to continue community engagement during a pandemic.