I’m Khiusha Uaila, an architect and urbanist from Mozambique, and the founder of Xi Bassile Lda. I hold a Master’s in Architecture, Urbanism, and Climate Action from University College Dublin, where I deepened my understanding of the systemic nature of the climate crisis and how urban design must evolve to meet the needs of a changing world. I’m Khiusha Uaila, an architect and urbanist from Mozambique, and the founder of Xi Bassile Lda. I hold a Master’s in Architecture, Urbanism, and Climate Action from University College Dublin, where I deepened my understanding of the systemic nature of the climate crisis and how urban design must evolve to meet the needs of a changing world.
My personal and professional journey is rooted in lived experience. Growing up in Maputo, I witnessed how urban flooding disproportionately affected low-income communities, damaging homes, livelihoods, and dignity. I saw how conventional infrastructure often bypassed the people who needed it most. These experiences shaped a core belief that drives my work today: resilient infrastructure must be both sustainable and inclusive, and co-created with the communities it serves. In response, I founded Xi Bassile, a climate-tech startup dedicated to developing nature-based stormwater management systems tailored for informal and underserved urban areas. My leadership has been recognized through the Climate-KIC Climate Launch Pad Competition in 2022, BIZ Orange Corners Program in Mozambique in 2023, and BFA Global TECA Africa Blue Wave program in 2024 and 2025, and I was recently selected to present my work at the UN Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice. These milestones have opened doors, but the path to meaningful scale remains full of challenges.