The Urban Poor in Latin America

Fay, Marianne; Laderchi, Caterina Ruggeri; Wellenstein, Anna; Moser, Caroline; Winton, Ailsa; Moser, A. M.; Monkkomen, Paavo; Woolcock, Michael; Cohan, Lorena; McEvoy, Karla

doi:10.1596/0-8213-6069-8

Cited by 114 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…In this study, adaptive capacity was limited, in part, by a lack of social and political capital, and a lack of engagement by the government with community stakeholders. Studies show that social networks, familiar ties, and traditions may be less supportive and stable in urban areas as compared to rural communities [54,55]. Prior studies from Machala also found that marginalized communities in the urban periphery lacked legal standing and political access, which limited their ability to engage effectively with government institutions [56].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A participatory community case study of periurban coastal flood vulnerability in southern Ecuador

Tauzer

Borbor-Córdova

Mendoza³

et al. 2019

PLoS ONE

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BackgroundPopulations in coastal cities are exposed to increasing risk of flooding, resulting in rising damages to health and assets. Adaptation measures, such as early warning systems for floods (EWSFs), have the potential to reduce the risk and impact of flood events when tailored to reflect the local social-ecological context and needs. Community perceptions and experiences play a critical role in risk management, since perceptions influence people’s behaviors in response to EWSFs and other interventions.MethodsWe investigated community perceptions and responses in flood-prone periurban areas in the coastal city of Machala, Ecuador. Focus groups (n = 11) were held with community members (n = 65 people) to assess perceptions of flood exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and current alert systems. Discussions were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded by topic. Participatory maps were field validated, georeferenced, and digitized using GIS software. Qualitative data were triangulated with historical government information on rainfall, flood events, population demographics, and disease outbreaks.ResultsFlooding was associated with seasonal rainfall, El Niño events, high ocean tides, blocked drainage areas, overflowing canals, collapsed sewer systems, and low local elevation. Participatory maps revealed spatial heterogeneity in perceived flood risk across the community. Ten areas of special concern were mapped, including places with strong currents during floods, low elevation areas with schools and homes, and other places that accumulate stagnant water. Sensitive populations included children, the elderly, physically handicapped people, low-income families, and recent migrants. Flood impacts included damages to property and infrastructure, power outages, and the economic cost of rebuilding/repairs. Health impacts included outbreaks of infectious diseases, skin infections, snakebite, and injury/drowning. Adaptive capacity was weakest during the preparation and recovery stages of flooding. Participants perceived that their capacity to take action was limited by a lack of social organization, political engagement, and financial capital. People perceived that flood forecasts were too general, and instead relied on alerts via social media.ConclusionsThis study highlights the challenges and opportunities for climate change adaptation in coastal cities. Areas of special concern provide clear local policy targets. The participatory approach presented here (1) provides important context to shape local policy and interventions in Ecuador, complimenting data gathered through standard flood reports, (2) provides a voice for marginalized communities and a mechanism to raise local awareness, and (3) provides a research framework that can be adapted to other resource-limited coastal communities at risk of flooding.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A participatory community case study of periurban coastal flood vulnerability in southern Ecuador

Tauzer

Borbor-Córdova

Mendoza³

et al. 2019

PLoS ONE

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“…4 For women, this structural change may mean more opportunities for selfreliance, better access to services, and relaxation of more rigid social norms that value women as subordinates to men in general. 25 Yet, related work in southeast Africa suggests that the spatial manifestations of urbanization may subject women to gender-based violence, 26 a risk factor for HIV. 27 Roads and transportation services make women more susceptible to sexual assault and the surrounding open spaces and sanitary facilities increase their risk.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the spatial relationship between primary road distance to antenatal clinics and HIV prevalence in pregnant females of Lilongwe, Malawi

et al. 2019

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While urbanization in a sub-Saharan African (SSA) context can lead to greater independence in women, various sociological, biological, and geographical factors in urban areas may keep women at a higher risk for HIV than men. Access to major roads during Malawi’s transition into rapid urbanization may leave women disproportionately vulnerable to HIV infection. It is not well established whether women who report to health clinics closer to major roads have higher or lower levels of HIV. In this study we explored the spatial heterogeneity of HIV prevalence among pregnant females in Lilongwe District, Malawi. Using Geographic Information Systems, we visually represented patterns of HIV prevalence in relation to primary roads. HIV prevalence data for 2015 were obtained from 44 antenatal clinics (ANC) in Lilongwe District. ANC prevalence data were aggregated to the administrative area and mapped. Euclidean distance between clinics and two primary roads that run through Lilongwe District were measured. A correlation was run to assess the relationship between area-level ANC HIV prevalence and clinic distance to the nearest primary road. ANC HIV prevalence ranged from 0% to 10.3%. Clinic to major road distance ranged from 0.1 to 35 km. Correlation results ( r= −0.622, p = 0.002) revealed a significant negative relationship between clinic distance to primary road and HIV prevalence, indicating that the farther the clinics stood from primary roads, the lower the reported antenatal HIV prevalence. Overall, the clinic catchments through which the major roads run reported higher ANC HIV prevalence. Antenatal HIV prevalence decreases as ANC distance from primary roads increases in Lilongwe, Malawi. As urbanization continues to grow in this region, road distance may serve as a good indicator of HIV burden and help to guide targeted prevention and treatment efforts.

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Section: Differences Between Rural and Urban Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Land scarcity is more pressing in urban areas, such that poor people (especially migrants) tend to locate in cheaper parts of the city and end up in slums (Fay, 2005). Often, these slum areas are characterized by higher environmental risks which are reflected in the price of land (Fay, 2005): for instance, Lall and Deichmann (2014) observe that parts of Bogota which experience the highest earthquake risk are also the cheapest, and where most of the poor locate. Accordingly, Winsemius et al (2015) find a positive association between flood risk and poverty within urban areas, but do not find the same association at national-level, suggesting land prices to play a key role in determining exposure to environmental risks in cities.…”

Section: Differences Between Rural and Urban Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

The multifaceted relationship between environmental risks and poverty: new insights from Vietnam

Narloch

Bangalore

2018

Envir. Dev. Econ.

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Despite complex interlinkages, insights into the multifaceted relationship between environmental risks and poverty can be gained through an analysis of different risks across space, time and scale within a single context using consistent methods. Combining geo-spatial data on eight environmental risks and household survey data from 2010-2014 for the case study of Vietnam, this paper shows: (i) at district-level the incidence of poverty is higher in high risk areas, (ii) at household-level poorer households face higher environmental risks, (iii) for some risks the relationship with household-level consumption varies between rural and urban areas, and (iv) environmental risks explain consumption differences between households, but less so changes over time. While altogether these analyses cannot establish a causal relationship between environmental risks and poverty, they do indicate that Vietnam's poor are disproportionally exposed. Given growing pressures due to climate change, addressing such risks should be a focus of poverty reduction efforts.

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The Urban Poor in Latin America

Cited by 114 publications

References 2 publications

A participatory community case study of periurban coastal flood vulnerability in southern Ecuador

A participatory community case study of periurban coastal flood vulnerability in southern Ecuador

Exploring the spatial relationship between primary road distance to antenatal clinics and HIV prevalence in pregnant females of Lilongwe, Malawi

The multifaceted relationship between environmental risks and poverty: new insights from Vietnam

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