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Centre for Migration Research and Development

Towards Trajectories of Inclusion: Making infrastructure work for the most marginalised

The Off-grid City research project conducted in partnership with the University of Sussex, Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and Durham University examines the implications of inclusion and exclusion in mainstream systems of service provision for poor urban residents. In its objectives, the mixed methods study aims to identify different patterns and ranges of access to basic services on water, sanitation, energy, transport and communication, follow the services to identify barriers to access, and develop positive interventions to address inequalities of provision. The analysis of five infrastructure grids among a number of comparative neighborhoods in urban, semi urban and estate communities with the partnership of the SEVANATHA Urban Resource Centre will inform the research to support interventions to address the causes of exclusion and demonstrate practical solutions for inclusion. The project is funded by UK Research and Innovation through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).
Poor urban neighborhood

Project publications

  1. [Reports] Ali. A. et al. (2026) Support, Care, and Mutual Aid in Protracted Displacement Economies, Sussex Centre for Migration Research Working Paper, 107, Brighton: University of Sussex.
    [link]

  2. [Journal Articles] McGregor, J., Alikhan, M., Masimba, G., Omer, A., & Collyer, M. (2025). Evictability—A Relational Comparison: Fears, Manoeuvres and Regimes of Housing Insecurity in Rapidly Urbanising Cities. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, e70053.
    [link]

  3. [Books and chapters] Alikhan, M. M. (2024). Dynamics of Low-Income Settlements in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Sri Lanka (pp. 396-406). Routledge.
    [link]

  4. [Working Papers] Alikhan, S., Alikhan, M. M., Jayatilaka, D., Azam, A. (2024) "Aspiring for Inclusion: Accessing water by the tea estate community in Badulla, Sri Lanka – opportunities and constraints", Centre for Migration Research and Development.
    [link]

  5. [Blogs] Ranindra, P. (2023) "The Daily Struggle for Water: The Story of Sarnia Estate, Badulla", CMRD Blog, 22nd Jun 2023.
    [link]

  6. [Resource Guides] Rodrigo, M. (2023), "A Resource Guide for Making Infrastructure Work for the Most Marginalised", Centre for Migration Research and Development.
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  7. [Resource Guides] Rodrigo, M. (2023), "Systems of Housing Provision for the Marginalized in Sri Lanka", Centre for Migration Research and Development.
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  8. [Resource Guides] Rodrigo, M. (2023), "Systems of Water Provision for the Marginalized in Sri Lanka", Centre for Migration Research and Development.
    [link]

  9. [Comics] PositiveNegatives (2023). A Drop for Everyone - How Inadequate Management Causes Water Scarcity in Aruvi Estate: The Story of Water, CMRD Comics, Centre for Migration Research and Development.
    [link]

  10. [Academic Conferences] Jayatilaka, D., M. Alikhan (2023), "Falling through policy gaps: Comparing water systems for workers in a Sri Lanka Tea Estate", International Initiative for Promoting Political Economy (IIPPE), Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid, Spain.
    [link]

  11. [Reports] Gamage, S. (2023). Photovoice as a Method for Understanding Inclusive Infrastructure: Lessons from Sri Lanka [CMRD report]. Centre for Migration Research and Development.
    [link]

  12. [Video] PositiveNegatives (2023). A Drop for Everyone: The Video Comic of Water, CMRD Comics, Centre for Migration Research and Development.
    [link]

  13. [Blogs] Alikhan, M. M. and S. Alikhan (2022) "Fuel Crisis: A double burden for low-income residents in Colombo, Sri Lanka", CMRD Blog, 24th Jul 2022.
    [link]

  14. [Blogs] Azam, A. (2022) "Disruption to livelihoods: Living with major power outages in Sri Lanka", CMRD Blog, 14th Apr 2022.
    [link]

  15. [Books and chapters] Gamage, S and Jayatilaka, D (2022), ’Life-story narratives, memory maps, and video stories: spatial narratives of urban displacement in Sri Lanka’, in Katarzyna Grabska and Christina Clark-Kazak (Eds.), Documenting Displacement: Questioning Methodological Boundaries in Forced Migration Research, pp. 338-360, McGill-Queen’s University Press.
    [link]

  16. [Community Profiles] Alikhan, S. (2022) "A Community Profile of Lunupokuna", CMRD community profile. Centre for Migration Research and Development.
    [link]

  17. [Community Profiles] Alikhan, S. (2022) "A Community Profile of Mahaiyawa", CMRD community profile. Centre for Migration Research and Development.
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  18. [Community Profiles] Alikhan, S. (2022) "A Community Profile of Nawagampura", CMRD community profile. Centre for Migration Research and Development.
    [link]

  19. [Community Profiles] Alikhan, S. (2022) "A Community Profile of Salamulla", CMRD community profile. Centre for Migration Research and Development.
    [link]

  20. [Community Profiles] Alikhan, S. (2022) "A Community Profile of Sammanthranapura", CMRD community profile. Centre for Migration Research and Development.
    [link]

  21. [Community Profiles] Alikhan, S. (2022) "A Community Profile of Sarnia Estate", CMRD community profile. Centre for Migration Research and Development.
    [link]

  22. [Blogs] Gamage, S. (2020) "Mapping memory and migration: video documentary and spatial narratives", CMRD Blog, 28th Jan 2020.
    [link]

  23. [Journal Articles] Lakshman, I. M., Alikhan, M. M., & Azam, A. (2020). "Finding ‘Reasons to Stay’ Amidst Issues of Well-Being: A Case Study of Two Underserved Communities in Colombo.", European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 16(35), 94.
    [link]