City limits: Urbanisation and vulnerability in Sudan

The Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) has been commissioned by the Department for International Development (DFID) to carry out a study on urbanisation in Sudan. The overall objectives of the study are: • To deepen understanding of the drivers of urbanisation in different parts of the country, in relation to the broader economic, political and security context in Sudan. • To analyse the consequences of rapid urbanisation, socially, economically (paying particular attention to urban livelihoods) and environmentally, and in terms of urban infrastructure and the provision of services. • To assess the implications in terms of the vulnerability of urban populations to future hazards and shocks, and in terms of development opportunities. • To identify how international aid can best engage with changing settlement patterns in Sudan, and the implications for humanitarian and development programming in the future.