Profiling Informal Settlements for Disaster Risks

Abunyewah, Matthew; Gajendran, Thayaparan; Maund, Kim

doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2018.01.031

Cited by 58 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In SSA, most of the urban population live in informal settlements in areas at risk [23], such as floodplains, swamps, and riverbanks [84,85]. This population group mainly consists of the urban poor [84]. They are often excluded from the land market due to unaffordable prices and imposed standards and regulations that they are unable to follow, and that force them to occupy these dangerous lands [11,21,86].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to this group are refugees and persons who are displaced due to forced displacement in cities who settle in these areas for various reasons [87][88][89][90]. These situations and the increased population density in these areas make them more vulnerable to flooding [84,89,91].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Urbanization and Floods in Sub-Saharan Africa: Spatiotemporal Study and Analysis of Vulnerability Factors—Case of Antananarivo Agglomeration (Madagascar)

Ramiaramanana

Teller

2021

Water

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Flooding is currently one of the major threats to cities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The demographic change caused by the high rate of natural increase, combined with the migration toward cities, leads to a strong demand for housing and promotes urbanization. Given the insufficiency or absence of adequate planning, many constructions are installed in flood-prone zones, often without adequate infrastructure, especially drainage systems. This makes them very vulnerable. Our research consists of carrying out a spatiotemporal analysis of the agglomeration of Antananarivo (Madagascar). It shows that urbanization leads to increased exposure of populations and constructions to floods. There is a pressure on land in flood-prone zones due to the exponential growth of the population at the agglomeration level. Some 32% of the population of the Antananarivo agglomeration lived in flood-prone zones in 2018. An analysis of the evolution of built spaces from 1953 to 2017 highlights that urban expansion was intense over those years (6.1% yearly increase of built areas). This expansion triggered the construction of built areas in flood-prone zones, which evolved from 399 ha in 1953 to 3675 ha in 2017. In 2017, 23% of the buildings in the agglomeration, i.e., almost one out of every four buildings, were in flood-prone zones. A share of the urban expansion in flood-prone zones is related to informal developments that gather highly vulnerable groups with very little in terms of economic resources. Better integration of flood risk management in spatial planning policies thus appears to be an essential step to guide decisions so as to coordinate the development of urban areas and drainage networks in a sustainable way, considering the vulnerability of the population living in the most exposed areas.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Urbanization and Floods in Sub-Saharan Africa: Spatiotemporal Study and Analysis of Vulnerability Factors—Case of Antananarivo Agglomeration (Madagascar)

Ramiaramanana

Teller

2021

Water

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“…chiefs, clan heads, opinion leaders, etc.) that are entwined in the socio-political structure of local communities and use them in the disaster risk communication process (Abunyewah et al, 2018b;Vermaak and van Niekerk, 2004).…”

Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking information provision to behavioural intentions

Abunyewah

Gajendran

Maund

et al. 2019

IJDRBE

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Purpose Disaster information is an important resource for flood preparedness, however, the transition of information provision to preparedness and consequently to damage reduction is complex. The nature of complexity has made it imperative to provide context-specific evidence on how disaster information provision influences intentions to prepare for flood hazard. This paper seeks to investigate how message clarity and source credibility mediate and moderate the relationship between information sufficiency and intentions to prepare. This paper aims to provide valuable insights into the relationship between the major components of disaster communication and their influence on intentions to prepare. Design/methodology/approach The study used a cross-sectional survey design to test the relationship between information sufficiency, message clarity and source credibility. A total of 1,064 questionnaire surveys were conducted on a face-to-face basis. The data collection was done in one month with ten research assistants. Participants of the study were randomly selected from adults over 18-years old who have lived in the study areas for at least three years. Responses from participants were analysed using a structural equation modelling (SEM) technique and SPSS AMOS version 24 software. Findings Findings suggest that the information sufficiency-intentions to prepare relationship is enhanced when adequate disaster information communicated is clear and from a credible source. This implies that policymakers and risk communicators need to critically assess the clarity of disaster information content and the credibility of the source in the dissemination of information during the communication process. It also provides a better understanding of the factors that influence people’s intentions to prepare for flood hazards. Research limitations/implications This current study did not account for the specific nature or content of information necessary to increase message clarity and source credibility for disaster preparedness. In addition, the study did not cover the channels of communication ideal to stimulate people’s intentions to flood preparedness. Although these do not undermine the significance of the present study, they present entry points for further studies. In view of the on-going urbanisation dynamics and the complex socio-spatial patterns emerging in the Greater Accra Area, it is recommended that further studies explore the channels of communication that will suit the diverse socio-spatial profile of residents (e.g. age, location, ethnicity, etc.). Originality/value While a plethora of studies emphasize the role of source credibility, information sufficiency and message clarity towards disaster preparedness, there is at present little evidence on the mediating and moderating role of the communication variables. In this study, we propose and test the mediating and moderating role of message clarity and source credibility on the relationship between information sufficiency and intentions to prepare. The findings of this paper provide other incentives that encourage message audiences to take up precautionary measures towards flood hazards. In addition, with a view that people fail to prepare because of lack of sufficient information, the study findings suggest that the provision of sufficient information may enhance preparedness.

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“…Yet, in these studies, mainstreaming DRR in housing development in informal settlements is hardly addressed. There are very few analyses [17]. This implies that a number of countries suffer from the growth of informal settlements, representing the worldwide phenomenon.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into Housing Development in Keko Machungwa

Sakijege¹

2019

JEP

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In Tanzania 80% of the population live in informal settlements. Most of these settlements are built in areas that are susceptible to extreme weather conditions such as flooding. Such conditions have significantly contributed to the destruction of housing stock and other valuable properties. There is considerable awareness amongst people living in the informal settlements, government representatives and other key stakeholders about the various flood risks affecting informal settlements. Based on this understanding, several attempts to minimize flood risks have been initiated in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, yet these initiatives have largely failed to deliver the desired impacts. This article aims to investigate core reasons for this through a case study of Keko Machungwa Informal settlement in Dar es Salaam City. The study explores the extent to which mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction (DRR) in housing development in informal settlements has been considered and implemented, and recommends measures for improvement. Key methods employed for the research included physical observation, household interviews, mapping, photographing, and in-depth interviews. Overall, the study found that mainstreaming of DRR in housing development was hardly practiced at the household level, as houses were predominantly being built without resistant building materials and supervision of relevant professionals. In order to mainstream DRR in housing development in informal settlements, it is recommended that mainstreaming DRR be embedded in laws and policies, highly vulnerable parts of the settlement be declared protected wetland and that the government direct its efforts towards regulating, controlling and monitoring the housing development sector. That letter can be achieved by emphasizing the use of flood resistant building materials and establishing resilient infrastructures for flood mitigation in every flood prone informal settlement.

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Profiling Informal Settlements for Disaster Risks

Cited by 58 publications

References 18 publications

Urbanization and Floods in Sub-Saharan Africa: Spatiotemporal Study and Analysis of Vulnerability Factors—Case of Antananarivo Agglomeration (Madagascar)

Urbanization and Floods in Sub-Saharan Africa: Spatiotemporal Study and Analysis of Vulnerability Factors—Case of Antananarivo Agglomeration (Madagascar)

Linking information provision to behavioural intentions

Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into Housing Development in Keko Machungwa

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