Re-HOUSED Decision Support Toolkit

Flooding and heat stress (F&HS) present significant challenges in tropical urban regions in countries like Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Brazil, annually; affecting vulnerable populations such as households with low income, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Since the Re-HOUSED toolkit's publication in April 2022, over 290 large-scale flooding events and nearly 10 major heat waves have been reported in these regions (Emergency events database: EM-DAT, March 2024 data).

Nigeria, particularly cities like Lagos and Port-Harcourt, faces severe F&HS challenges due to its low-lying coastal areas and tropical climate. In October 2022, Nigeria experienced its worst flooding in a decade, displacing over 1.3 million people and causing over 600 deaths in the span of three weeks. The economic impact, including property damage, is estimated to be billions of Naira.

Health implications from floods and heat stress are profound, leading to various health issues and increasing risks of heat-related illnesses like heat cramps, heat stroke, and bacterial meningitis, particularly affecting the vulnerable groups. Mitigating heat stress in Nigeria is challenging due to unreliable energy supply, limiting the use of cooling systems. More than half of the population lacks grid-connected electricity, leading to frequent power outages. Even households with air conditioning face significant costs, contributing to energy poverty, especially among low-income households and those in highly dense informal settlements.

Adapting to climate vulnerabilities and stressors is crucial for saving lives and reducing redevelopment costs, particularly as a large part of the populace builds their own homes through self-building. Self-building, the mainstream housing delivery process in Nigeria (and many tropical Global South countries) has contributed significantly to Nigeria's new housing stock, especially among low- and middle-income households, comprising 70 - 90 percent of new homes over the last three decades.

Governments and urban planners use top-down, reactive approaches to address flooding and heat stress that are less effective for day-to-day and localized household resilience needs. Additionally, infrastructure in many areas, including Nigeria, may be poorly maintained or inadequate, exacerbating vulnerabilities.

Bottom-up solutions developed from experience, culture, local and indigenous knowledge such as building on stilts, raising plinths, tree planting, double walling, and building pergolas provide more self-sufficient paths for households to build flooding and heat stress resilience in self-build housing.

Literature shows that these "responsive and adaptive" bottom-up methods are not only affordable but also low technical and are easy to implement at the household level. Responsive and adaptive methods also address the day-to-day needs of households and are more suited for self-builders to use as either their primary form of resilience or to complement and fill the gaps of top-down approaches.

The knowledge of these bottom-up design solutions is often siloed due to local ingenuity and not widely accessible to self-builders who need them the most. There is also a gap in understanding the complex factors of the built environment that make these solutions successful in the long term, and the technical nature of the information can be a barrier for non-experts to self-build the design solutions. 

My solution is the Re-HOUSED decision support toolkit which includes three user-friendly tools that break down complex data and improve access to bottom-up resilience solutions for urban self-builders and households with low and moderate incomes, dealing with the impact of flooding and heat stress on their housing: 1) A Matrix of bottom-up design solutions, 2) a Multi-criteria decision support web application, and 3) a Step-by-step Guidebook. 

The Re-HOUSED decision support toolkit, available at www.re-housed.tools, addresses three main gaps identified in both practice and literature as mentioned in "The Problem". 

How it addresses the data access, technical knowledge, and simplified communication gaps

1.Data Accessibility: Providing easy access to resilience strategies for self-builders. The Matrix primarily addresses this gap for self-builders across the tropical Global South.

2.Knowledge of Resilience Viability: Helping self-builders understand the viability of different resilience solutions for their context. The web application primarily addresses this gap for self-builders in coastal Nigeria (the pilot).

3.Low-technical Design Communication: Aiding day-to-day resilience efforts through user-friendly tools. The guidebook primarily addresses this gap for self-builders in coastal Nigeria.

The tools, how it works, and it's technology/methodology

The toolkit helps self-builders in tropical Global South and especially in coastal Nigeria make better and informed decisions about the selection and implementation of bottom-up flooding and heat stress resilience design solutions for their housing. 

1. Matrix of Design Solutions: This tool provides information on 149 flood and heat stress resilience design solutions identified through a systematic approach to literature review of over 15,000 ethnographic based papers. It was designed in Microsoft Excel and includes two graphic Summary Sheets that serves as a consolidated resource for self-builders to easily understand and access a wide range of design solutions.

2. Multi-criteria Decision Support Web Application: This tool assesses users' vulnerabilities and contexts through a questionnaire. It then predicts suitable design solutions from available options using a two-step algorithm:

• Step One: Identifies flooding and heat stress vulnerabilities at a user's site and neighborhood. It then assesses the viability of bottom-up design solutions in the repository based on these vulnerabilities, showing options with at least a 70% success rate. This analysis utilizes logistic regression of household survey data from the repository. 

  

• Step two: Helps users prioritize housing development criteria and further  recommends feasible solutions from the list of viable options using the Analytical Hierarchy Process.

  

3. REST Step-by-step Guidebook: This guidebook is designed for non-expert and low-technical skilled self-builders, providing a simple, step-by-step approach to designing, building, or improving housing resilience against flooding and heat stress. It breaks down technical architecture and engineering design jargon, visually illustrating the implementation process of recommended design solutions.

The toolkit combines urban dwellers' intrinsic, front-line, and indigenous knowledge with technical and scientific knowledge to empower self-builders who currently lack access to such information due to various risk factors. It aims to promote resilience at the household level and provide economically diverse groups with climate information to enhance their adaptive capacity in the long term.

The Re-HOUSED decision support toolkit serves self-builders and low to moderate-income households in urban areas of the tropical Global South. 

In its pilot phase, the full toolkit is available to self-builders in coastal Nigeria, providing them with valuable information and tools to enhance their resilience to flooding and heat stress. However, the Matrix of design solutions (tool 1) is available to a larger population of self-builders across the tropical Global South such as such as Ghana, Bangladesh, and Malaysia (Figure 1).

       Figure 1. The tropical Global South and some representative countries

The Web App and the Guidebook, is tailored for self-builders in coastal Nigeria, providing them with localized data and information. The full toolkit are available for households and self-builders in states including Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross Rivers in the South-west and South-south regions (Figure 2). These states are characterized by floodplains, swamps, and marshlands, and are heavily traversed by tributaries and distributaries. Many cities in these states are situated at low elevations, with some being less than 20 feet above sea level, including cities such as Lagos and Port-Harcourt.

            Figure 2. Map of coastal Nigeria - the pilot region for this solution

Lagos, with its approximately 10 million residents, is the second-largest city in Africa and a major economic hub in West Africa. The city hosts numerous informal settlements, including Makoko, a water settlement. Port-Harcourt, located in the Niger Delta region, serves as the oil and gas hub of Nigeria, and has a population of around 1.4 million residents spread across 13 metropolitan zones. The city experiences high levels of annual precipitation, humidity, and temperature.

The toolkit will positively impact the lives of urban self-builders in the following ways.

• Stimulate Economic Development: By providing information on resilient design solutions, the toolkit can create new climate resilience-related jobs for laborers/masons, electricians, suppliers, and others in the self-build housing delivering sector, and contribute to economic growth in the region. It helps self-builders to actively participate in decision-making processes related to housing development, fostering a sense of ownership and engagement with the construction industry.
• Improve Health Outcomes: The toolkit's focus on resilience design solutions will lead to better health outcomes by reducing the risk of water and vector-borne diseases, minimizing the health impacts of prolonged exposure to high temperatures, and improving occupant comfort and productivity.
• Reduce Redevelopment Costs: Promoting resilient housing construction will help reduce the costs associated with property damage and redevelopment due to flooding and waterlogging, benefiting both individuals and communities.
• Address Social Aspects of Climate Vulnerability: Climate change vulnerability has traditionally been measured in terms of general physical risk, social scientists around the world are now shifting the paradigm to focus on understanding the complex ways that social aspects of climate vulnerability interact with physical well-being. The toolkit recognizes that low-income groups often face higher barriers to accessing resources and participating in the economy. By empowering these communities, the toolkit aims to create a more equitable and resilient society.

As the Team Lead, I bring a deep personal connection to the communities we aim to serve. I am Nigerian, born and raised in the region, and have a profound understanding of the challenges faced by self-builders in these areas. My upbringing in the region has given me firsthand experience of the issues related to flooding and heat stress, which are prevalent in coastal Nigeria.

Our team also includes local partners such as the Parkers Mobile Health Clinic in South Nigeria, and we have access to researchers from local Niger Delta universities, community based churches, and governmental agencies. These partnerships are crucial as they provide us with valuable insights into the local context, ensuring that our solution is tailored to the specific needs of the communities we serve. These partnerships also help us to ensure that our solution is culturally sensitive and relevant to the target population.

The design and implementation of our solution have been meaningfully guided by input from the communities themselves. We have actively engaged with self-builders in the tropical Global South, especially in Nigeria, throughout the development process. We conducted validation, testing, and co-creation sessions with these communities to ensure that the toolkit meets their needs and is accessible to them.

Figure 1. One of the online focus group sessions with Nigerian self-builders reviewing one of the guidebook prototypes. 

By involving the communities in the design and implementation process, we have been able to create a solution that truly addresses their challenges and empowers them to make informed decisions about their housing resilience. Our proximity to the communities we serve, along with our partnerships and collaborative approach, makes us well-positioned to deliver this solution effectively and meaningfully impact the lives of self-builders in coastal Nigeria and beyond.

I selected the pilot stage because the solution has been launched in at least one community - coastal Nigeria, but is still iterating on design and the toolkit will need to be enhanced and expanded to other communities and regions which will include working on a business model for self-sustaining financing. 

The research engaged over 1,200 self-builders across the tropical Global South through a household survey and several phases of focus groups. Since the deployment of the toolkit on the website (www.re-housed.tools), the website receives an average of 85 unique visitors monthly from across the world, including Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ghana, India, the Philippines, and the United States, indicating initial feedback and availability to self-builders/users.

The Web App, a key component, has an average of 3 hours of use every day by users. This level of engagement indicates a meaningful interaction with the tool and its content, suggesting that users are finding value in the information and functionality provided.

Additionally, we are actively working to add a feedback loop directly to each tool in the toolkit and are proactively seeking feedback as part of this pilot to improve the toolkit's effectiveness and user experience. This feedback and usage data are crucial for us to continue improving the toolkit and its usability for the target population.

Developing the Re-HOUSED toolkit to assist self-builders in selecting and implementing resilience design solutions is impactful only when it reaches the households that need it most. The strategy to achieve this, includes disseminating the toolkit in coastal Nigeria through increased outreach efforts, an awareness campaign, and partnerships to build demonstration projects in local communities. This initiative aims to provide low to moderate-income self-builders with access to the toolkit and education on climate vulnerabilities and resilience, empowering them to make informed decisions and create resilient homes.

I am applying to Solve because I am deeply committed to addressing the challenges of flooding and heat stress resilience in self-build housing. I aim to democratize information on resilience for self-builders in frontline communities. Solve's funding, network, and resources will support outreach efforts, continuous toolkit iteration, collaboration with researchers and developers, and attracting potential collaborators and funders.

Enhancing the toolkit is crucial. For instance, converting the static Matrix of design solutions into an interactive web and mobile application with language-based chat processing will greatly improve accessibility. This upgrade, along with overall design and functionality improvements, will ensure a user-friendly experience, making it easier for users to navigate and utilize the toolkit effectively.

Expanding the enhanced toolkit's deployment in coastal Nigeria will allow for assessing its effectiveness and gathering user feedback. This real-world data will inform further improvements, ensuring the toolkit meets evolving needs.

Collaborating with Solve's network will greatly enrich the toolkit as I will have access to people with diverse perspectives and expertise, that can help contribute to the continuous improvement and effectiveness of the toolkit and other tools. Solve's platform can also raise visibility of the Re-HOUSED toolkit, and incubate fundraising mechanisms for scalability and impact. Leveraging Solve's platform, I aim to attract investors and partners interested in supporting climate resilience initiatives, ensuring the toolkit's sustainability and long-term impact.

Solve's support and resources will be instrumental in advancing the Re-HOUSED toolkit and its mission to empower individuals and communities in the Global South to build resilience against flooding and heat stress.

In Nigeria, there is a significant lack of climate-related data, with information sharing primarily at national levels or directed towards emergency alerts. Currently, there is no available database or tool that provides reliable data on flooding and heat stress resilience methods in a comprehensive and simplified form accessible to urban dwellers and self-builders. The Re-HOUSED toolkit addresses these challenges by providing access to learning tools that effectively teach about climate risks and resilience methods, thus overcoming barriers that limit decision-making.

The toolkit combines scientific expertise with local and indigenous knowledge, solutions based on culture, and ingenuity from perceived risk and past experiences with climate risks and stressors. This approach bridges the gap between bottom-up efforts and expert-driven methods, enhancing the viability of resilience measures and ensuring that solutions are contextually relevant and culturally sensitive.

Unlike traditional approaches that cater to experts, the Re-HOUSED toolkit focuses on self-builders, particularly those with limited access to professional expertise. It provides accessible, passive, and low-technical design solutions, for self-builders to create safer and healthier homes. For example, the Matrix of design solutions breaks down the silo of data, makes it digestible and more accessible, and is based on multilingual inclusivity, ensuring that valuable information on resilience solutions is accessible to a global audience.

The toolkit's methodology engages self-builders in a people-centered co-creation process, improving their understanding of complex resilience concepts and facilitating meaningful participation in decision-making. While initially designed for the Tropical Global South, the principles of the Re-HOUSED toolkit can be adapted for use in other vulnerable regions, such as the Colonias in the southwestern United States.

In essence, the Re-HOUSED toolkit represents a paradigm shift in resilience planning, integrating diverse knowledge systems, empowering local communities, and promoting inclusive and sustainable solutions for a more resilient future. Another key innovation of the toolkit is its unique two-step decision-making algorithm, which combines the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and logistic regression. This approach is distinct from traditional decision support tools, which often rely solely on AHP or other methods, but not in conjunction with regression analysis.

By combining the AHP and logistic regression in a user-friendly web application, the Re-HOUSED toolkit provides self-builders with a powerful tool for selecting the most viable and feasible design solutions for their unique circumstances. This approach is innovative because it allows users to make informed decisions based on both qualitative and quantitative data, considering the complex interplay of factors that influence the success of design solutions.

Furthermore, no other decision support tools in this space offer this combination of AHP and logistic regression specifically tailored for self-builders in the Global South. 

In addition to its advanced analytical capabilities, the Re-HOUSED toolkit also incorporates interactive visual aids and a step-by-step guidebook, making it a comprehensive and user-friendly resource for self-builders. These features allow users to visualize the impact of different design solutions and understand the steps needed to implement them effectively.

The three tools in the toolkit enable self-builders to make informed decisions about selecting and using bottom-up design solutions that are available to them, affordable, and will be at least 70% successful in the long-term for resilience against flooding and heat stress.

One key impact is the toolkit's role in informing and thereby improving the self-builders' knowledge of solutions that is generally not available to them due to siloes and data access barriers. 

Design solutions such as pergolas and tree planting in proximity to windows and doors (fenestration) improve ventilation and reduce heat exposure, positively impacting the health and well-being of urban households. Other solutions like raising the height of plinths help houses withstand flooding, thereby helping to reduce water damage.

By understanding site conditions and considering the surrounding locale (the technical and physical conditions that impact the viability of resilience design solutions), self-builders will better understand the relationship between the built environment and climate vulnerabilities, and make informed choices on design solutions, ensuring their effectiveness. This not only improves their homes' safety and durability but also enhances their ability to adapt to climate change.

Moreover, the toolkit promotes workforce development by engaging self-builders with the broader Architecture-Engineering-Construction industry. This collaboration provides opportunities for skill development within the construction sector.

At the scientific level, the toolkit contributes to improved prediction capabilities for resilience design solutions. By analyzing data on flooding and heat stress vulnerabilities and leveraging machine learning algorithms, the toolkit can accurately predict the success rate of different design solutions in specific contexts. This enables self-builders to select the most effective solutions, reducing the risk of damage to their homes and property.

Furthermore, household-level resilience can significantly impact communities and cities when compounded. By enabling individual self-builders to improve their homes' resilience, the toolkit contributes to overall community and city resilience. This can lead to reduced property damage, lives saved, and improved health and well-being for residents.

The Re-HOUSED toolkit aims to enhance household resilience, offering solutions for safer, more comfortable homes and benefiting entire communities by promoting adaptive capacity and better outcomes in the face of climate challenges.

1. Mainstream Dissemination: The project's primary goal is to reach a larger population of self-builders, particularly vulnerable groups such as the urban poor, elderly, people with disabilities, and children in hard-to-reach areas. This will be achieved through effective dissemination strategies and improved access to climate information.

2. Education and Adaptive Capacity: By enhancing climate education and building long-term adaptive capacity, self-builders and communities will be empowered to proactively address vulnerabilities and implement resilient solutions.

3. Sustained Research: Citizen science and co-creation initiatives will support ongoing development and implementation of design solutions, continuously improving the Re-HOUSED toolkit with new data.

4. Measurement and Growth: The pilot project aims to measure the toolkit's benefits through real-life application, record best practices for mainstream dissemination, and scale up its application to other regions in the tropical Global South. This includes Khulna, Bangladesh, one of the most severely affected regions by flooding, as well as other regions with similar climatic needs like the Colonias in the United States.

To measure progress towards these impact goals, the project will track the following metrics:

• Number of self-builders reached and engaged with the toolkit.
• Changes in knowledge and awareness of climate risks and resilience strategies among self-builders.
• Number of households implementing resilience solutions based on toolkit recommendations.
• Reduction in vulnerability to flooding and heat stress in communities using the toolkit.
• Feedback and insights gathered from self-builders and communities to improve the toolkit's effectiveness.

These metrics will be used to assess the project's impact and guide future iterations and scaling efforts.

The core technology that powers the Re-HOUSED toolkit is a combination of modern data analytics and visualization tools, including a two-step algorithm that integrates the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and logistic regression, along with user-friendly web applications and interactive visual aids.

1. Two-Step Algorithm: The algorithm developed for the Re-HOUSED toolkit is a unique and innovative approach that combines the AHP and logistic regression. The AHP allows users to define objectives, prioritize criteria, and evaluate alternatives, while logistic regression analyzes the relationships between various physical and technical conditions of a self-builder's site and neighborhood and the outcomes of different design solutions. This data-driven approach helps users understand how factors such as proximity to water bodies or vegetation conditions in their neighborhood can affect the success of using pilotis (building a house on wooden stilts).

2. User-Friendly Web Application: The toolkit includes a web application that provides self-builders with a platform to access and utilize the algorithm for selecting the most viable and feasible design solutions for their unique circumstances. The web application is designed to be user-friendly, making complex decision-making processes accessible to non-experts.

3. Interactive Visual Aids: In addition to the web application, the toolkit incorporates interactive visual aids that help users visualize the impact of different design solutions. These visual aids are crucial for improving users' understanding of complex resilience concepts and facilitating meaningful participation in decision-making.

4. Storytelling and Traditional Knowledge Systems: The toolkit also leverages storytelling as a means to communicate historical and cultural resilience practices. By incorporating local and indigenous knowledge, deeply embedded in cultural practices, the toolkit ensures that these valuable insights are integrated into resilience planning and implementation. This approach creates a shared space where local and indigenous knowledge is freely exchanged, empowering self-builders with invaluable insights and wisdom.

5. Local and Indigenous Knowledge Integration: The toolkit recognizes that communities in the Global South, particularly in Nigeria, have developed innovative ways to cope with climate-related challenges over generations. By integrating this knowledge into the toolkit, it ensures that resilience solutions are not only effective but also culturally appropriate and sustainable. For example, the toolkit includes design solutions that mimic traditional building techniques or incorporate local materials, which have proven resilience against floods and heat stress.

In summary, the Re-HOUSED toolkit's core technology combines modern data analytics and visualization tools with user-friendly interfaces and a strong emphasis on local and indigenous knowledge. This unique approach empowers self-builders in the Global South to make informed decisions about flood and heat stress resilience in their homes, leading to more sustainable and resilient communities.

Full time: 1

Part time: 2

Contractor: 1

Four years, since 2020

To ensure that our team is diverse, minimizes barriers to opportunity for staff, and provides a welcoming and inclusive environment for all team members, we have implemented several practices and have goals for the future.

Currently, our team consists of contractors (freelancers) and part-time team members who have been chosen based on fair interviewing and equitable consideration of skills and merits. We also consider other factors beyond fully meeting the job/position requirements that can add value to the team. Once we become a registered company in the future, we plan to apply inclusive recruitment practices, including outreach to organizations and communities that serve underrepresented groups.

We actively seek out partnerships with diverse organizations, including community-based organizations, researchers, and other stakeholders. These partnerships help ensure that our work is informed by a variety of perspectives and experiences. As we expand the toolkit to other regions, we will continue to prioritize partnerships with local organizations that are diverse and representative of those communities. This will help to ensure that our work is relevant and effective in addressing the unique challenges faced by different populations.

In the future, we plan to implement training and development programs to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion within our team. This includes creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all team members, regardless of their background or identity. We have set specific goals for increasing diversity within our team, including targets for representation of underrepresented groups. These goals are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure progress is being made.

Overall, our goal is to create a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, and to ensure that all team members feel valued, respected, and supported in their work.

There are three strategic plans to ensure financial sustainability for the toolkit and its future expansion.

1. Partnership Model: Forming partnerships with material manufacturers, suppliers, and workforce providers. These partners will undergo rigorous vetting, adhering to the principles of reputable third-party Fair Trade certification programs such as Integrated Assessment Services (IAS) in Nigeria. Once vetted, these partners will have the opportunity to be recommended alongside the toolkit's bottom-up design solutions. This partnership model not only promotes local businesses and suppliers but also supports self-builders in accessing quality materials and labor. 

Additionally, the toolkit will implement a user-driven traffic commission agreement, ensuring that partners pay a fair commission based on the traffic and/or sales generated through the toolkit's recommendations. This approach ensures that partnerships are beneficial for both parties and contribute to the toolkit's financial sustainability.

2. Service Subsidization Model: This involves developing a research databank from users feedback, that allows for the cross-application of research efforts without exposing original data. By leveraging user data and feedback, we can run adjacent research project such as modelling city resilience and maladaptation, offering these insights to cities and other larger stakeholders for a fee or through consulting/community benefits planning services. 

This approach not only generates revenue but also provides valuable information to improve community resilience, such as optimizing drainage systems and enhancing workforce training programs. By providing valuable services to cities, the toolkit can secure a stable source of income while fulfilling its mission of enhancing resilience at the community level.

3. Foundation Grants: Seeking multi-year, catalytic grants from foundations and organizations that support sustainable development, climate resilience, decision analysis, and science/climate communication projects. These grants will provide crucial funding for the toolkit's operations and expansion. Previous micro-grants, such as those from the Carnegie Mellon University GUSH grant and the PJ Dick Fellowship, have supported the toolkit in its initial stages, highlighting its potential to attract further funding from foundations.