Louise Cathro | Sviti Pabari
Research findings from our COVID-19 Response & Recovery Transport Research Fund confirms there are numerous transport and mobility challenges burdening vulnerable populations in low-income countries (LICs) in South Asia and Africa.
Twenty-one research projects received a share of grant funding totalling just £500k funded by UKAID through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office under the High Volume Transport Applied Research Programme, managed by IMC Worldwide. The projects were commissioned to focus on supporting LICs to respond to, and recover from, the impact of COVID-19. The research is being implemented in 22 LICs in Africa and a further 4 LICs in South Asia as well as two middle-income countries from those regions.
This research has the potential to inform transport decision making across the world.
The Research Fund was launched as part of HVT’s Action Agenda for COVID-19 response which called for support for international transport stakeholders in LICs to deal with the impact. The 21 projects were selected from over 100 concept note applications.
The projects cover a variety of themes including financial recovery, transport system modelling and data to inform current practice and/ or future best practice, gender and inclusion in transport, climate resilience, air quality, and knowledge sharing. There are many synergies between the project themes, methodologies and geographies. We are working to promote collaboration and data sharing across these projects with regular research knowledge exchanges.
Bernard Obika, Team Leader for the HVT Programme, says “This COVID-19 Response & Recovery research has come at just the right time as we see many countries move into second or even third waves of infection. The outcome of these research projects will help policy-makers and decision takers to update existing policies and strengthen their response to future shocks.”
More information on each of the projects including links to their research findings and policy guidance is detailed on the dedicated Projects page.
Countries where research has been conducted on COVID-19 response and recovery:
Countries for upscale:
