The RSA is pleased to announce the publication of our 9th Policy Impact book – COVID-19 and informal workers in Asian cities: Impact, response, and implications for urban recovery edited by Redento B. Recio, Kazi Nazrul Fattah, Nausheen H. Anwar, Noman Ahmed, Iderlina Mateo-Babiano, Michele Acuto, Ian Jayson Hecita and Shiva Nouri.
As COVID-19 took hold across local and international borders in 2020 and 2021, over 1.6 billion informal workers were estimated to have been adversely impacted by mobility restrictions and other ‘lockdown’ measures to tackle the coronavirus crisis. In the Global South, the pandemic has severely aff ected the sprawling megacities in Southeast and South Asia that have been driving urbanisation, and where there is a very high concentration of informal workers. This volume examines how informal workers were aff ected by the responses to the pandemic in fi ve Asian megacities: Dhaka (Bangladesh), Hyderabad (India), Karachi (Pakistan), Jakarta (Jakarta), and Manila (Philippines).
Gathering voices and experiences from across these subregions, this book engages with issues surrounding state measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chapters present the gaps and lessons learned in addressing the needs of informal workers. They also shed light on grassroots solidarity initiatives, civic practices, and social networks that have cushioned the devastating eff ects of the crisis. The book ends with a discussion on the implications of identifi ed state measures and citizen-led responses for (post)pandemic planning and urban governance in Asian cities in an age of recovery. This volume is a vital resource for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars who seek to advance the rights of informal workers in Asian metropolises.
RSA Members receive a print copy of the book as one of the membership benefits.
RSA POLICY EXPO GRANT SCHEME
This RSA policy research initiative worth £15,000 (c. $20,000; c. €17,800) aims to connect the work of successful teams with the wider communities on societal questions and policy needs. Expos will normally run for no more than 18 months from commissioning to the submission of the book and RSRS article for review.
The Association seeks a leading and impactful role for its community, to inform and influence policy and practice in creative and ambitious ways. The aim is to support Expos addressing issues that are important, current and having an impact on society. These Expos will investigate how the communities of regional studies, regional science, urban studies and related fields can respond to new societal challenges and opportunities.
Current Call for Applications
Applications are now sought for the 2023 RSA Policy Expo grant funding scheme. We seek proposals that, while ambitious in advancing the field, target policy-relevant questions and envisage avenues to influence policy and practice.
The Policy Expo initiative is worth up to £15,000 (c.$19,000; c. €16,800) to successful teams aiming to connect their work and wider communities to societal questions and policy needs. The RSA seeks to support up to 3 Policy Expos.
The RSA will award £15,000 for the completion of the research and outputs. The research should produce an article for our gold open access journal, Regional Studies, Regional Science and a short ‘policy facing’ book of no more than 30,000 words published by Routledge relating to one of the themes below.
The book will have a large distribution, as it will be sent in print copy to all RSA members and in e-book format to all those who subscribe to any of the journals of the RSA.
The submission deadline for applications is 31 October 2023.
Click here for more information on the grant scheme, including the full Terms and Conditions governing the grant are available in the RSA Policy Expo Handbook 2023.