Towards sustainable periurban ecosystems

Peri-urban areas, at the interface between urban and rural, link rural livelihoods with the urban lifestyles that put multiple pressures on peri-urban ecosystems. This poses huge challenges for the health and livelihoods of an increasing number of disenfranchised, poor and marginalised citizens, and for sustainable urban development. To address these challenges, we aim to expose the hidden challenges and opportunities for sustainable urban development – by mapping and documenting flows of ES and the experiences of peri-urban communities, as well as analysing the relevant institutions, governance, policy processes and programmes. This STEPS-affiliated project studies these questions by analysing policies and programmes, along with empirical studies with two peri-urban communities in India and five comparator sites in South Asia.