Urban Resilience, Inclusion and Socio-Economic Empowerment (U-RISE)

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) plans to launch the "Urban Resilience, Inclusion, and Socioeconomic Empowerment (U-RISE)" project in Zimbabwe under the Swiss Cooperation Programme for Zimbabwe and Zambia (2023–2026). The project aims to improve the economic resilience and well-being of vulnerable urban populations in selected secondary cities in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe’s secondary cities face interconnected challenges, such as high unemployment, dependence on the informal sector, climate vulnerability, and underdeveloped infrastructure. U-RISE aligns with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 1 (2021–2025), National Urban Policy (2023–2026), and Climate Change Policy, while contributing to Switzerland’s Foreign Policy Strategy 2024–2027 and the International Cooperation Strategy 2025–2028, with a focus on jobs, resilience, and climate adaptation.