Labour market panel surveys (LMPS) are household surveys that allow to observe the evolution of labour market dynamics by following the same individuals over several years. Conducted in Egypt in 1998, 2006, 2012 and 2018, these surveys have become the focus of research on the labour market, human development, migration, the (de)composition of families and social protection. They make it possible to analyse the impacts of the various tax and monetary reforms undertaken in the country. The data also sheds light on the opportunities and challenges women face in the labour market. 

This research partnership supports the implementation of the fifth wave of the ELMPS survey in Egypt by providing co-financing dedicated to data collection and dissemination. The objective of this collaboration is to support the production of the wave, as well as presentation chapters of this wave, four of which will be published as research papers to deepen knowledge on the Egyptian labour market. Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of the labour market situation in Egypt following the Covid-19 pandemic, thus providing relevant insights in this post-pandemic context.

The new ELMPS 2023 wave is largely based on the questionnaire of the 2018 ELMPS survey, which addressed issues such as demography, employment, income, migration and well-being. 

This edition differs from previous editions in several ways:

• It incorporates questions dedicated to assessing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic;
• It broadens its coverage by including new components, such as the digital economy (gig economy) and employment measurement in the emerging green and circular economy sectors;
• It provides for a skills-based module, with the inclusion of a wider variety of skills, which will assess the extent to which workers' skills match the needs of the labour market.

These improvements are intended to ensure more comprehensive and representative data, thus providing a solid foundation for informed public policy development.

The ELMPS 2023 database will be made available on the ERF website. 

Research papers will focus specifically on:

• The role of internal migration in territorial dynamics;
• The evolution of the insurance system and its coverage;
• Technology in the labour market and its use;
• The green economy and the labour market. 

A book will be published covering the themes of 1) labour supply; 2) employment structure; 3) inequalities; 4) mismatch between labour supply and demand; 5) gender and occupational segregation; 6) international migration; 7) social protection; 8) technology in the workplace; 9) green economy; 10) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); 11) care activities (paid and unpaid); 12) food security and resilience to shocks.

• Dr. Cecilia Poggi, Research Officer, AFD
• Prof. Ragui Assaad, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

As the field of research on green infrastructure and nature-based solutions in cities expands, the potential of urban agriculture in the production of ecosystem services remains unexplored. Beyond the benefits of increasing food supply and reducing the vulnerability of urban populations, urban food systems can be at the heart of policies to develop nature-based solutions. This project studies the potential benefits of these systems in the perimeter of Bengaluru, an Indian city with a strong heritage in terms of urban agriculture.

Taking the case study of Bengaluru, this project led by IIHS explores how and why urban food systems, in rapidly developing urban and peri-urban areas, can be seen as nature-based urban solutions that bring benefits to ecosystems and society.  

Two research questions are addressed: 

1. What is the scope and outcomes of urban agriculture for ecosystem services (including pollination) and societal well-being (such as food and nutritional security of the most vulnerable populations)?
2. How can we use different co-production pathways across the science-policy-citizen interface to scale up NBS around sustainable urban agricultural practices?

The research methodology is based on three main work packages: 

1. Synthesis of scientific knowledge on the potential of NBS and existing practices at various scales, and particularly within a chosen ward of Bengaluru with the deployment of pilot interventions;
2. Incubation and capacity building: incubating novel NBS ideas and experiments related to pollinator friendly and water conserving urban agriculture, and capacity building through the training of various stakeholder groups;
3. Scaling impact by identifying and engaging with different stakeholders, including city-level policy and decision makers, right from the start of the project to ensure the scaling of impact throughout the project.

The expected results of these projects are: 

• Academic results on sustainable urban food systems in the context of rapidly urbanizing countries from the Global South, on urban NBS experiences and their effects on ecosystem services (including pollination);
• Knowledge outputs for urban decision-makers on the integration of NBS in urban planning;
• Capacity building and teaching materials on multidisciplinary approaches to urban sustainability.  

The project is also testing nature-based solutions aimed at strengthening the resilience of food systems in Bangalore. 

The research team aims to show how nature-based solutions (NbS) can address urban water security challenges in the Global South — a topic that remains underexplored in the scientific literature, which is still largely focused on the Global North. Drawing on expert discussions and a literature review, they identify the specific characteristics of these contexts (environmental, socio-economic, governance-related, technical capacity, etc.), as well as the barriers and opportunities for implementing these solutions. The goal is to propose concrete avenues to support the more effective and equitable adoption of NbS in cities of the Global South.