Abstract
Cities in Sub-Saharan Africa are undergoing massive socio-spatial transformations. Many old inner-city neighbourhoods are being demolished to give way to modern commercial and residential developments, and generally, to a more modern living environment. These ambitions often lead to manifold displacement and resettlement projects that affect the livelihoods of millions of people, including many from informal settlements. Given the novelty of urban space transformations in Sub-Saharan African countries, empirical research on the impacts on affected urban households is rare. Based on research conducted in Kigali, Rwanda, this paper discusses livelihood impacts, of urban redevelopment and disaster risk mitigation induced resettlement projects, on affected informal settlement households. This contribution draws on interviews and focus group discussions undertaken with both households to be displaced and resettled households, as well as interviews with key informants during fieldwork. The findings highlight that, irrespective of potential opportunities of resettlement projects to deliver improved housing to poor informal households, most displaced informal households in Kigali endure several adverse impacts on their physical, financial, social, and human livelihood assets. While previous studies narrowed displacement impacts to post-relocation impacts, this research shows that affected informal households also endure significant adverse livelihood impacts in the pre-relocation stage. Uncertainties during the pre-relocation phase are significant causes of impoverishment risks among the households likely to be displaced. Accurate and detailed information of the resettlement projects need to be communicated in the early stage of the process to avoid the unnecessary impoverishment risks of affected households. Clear transparent guidelines on entitlements and compensation for each displacement type need to be disclosed and discussed with affected communities. We conclude that an understanding of livelihood impacts in both the pre- and post-relocation stages offers a holistic conceptualisation, which is required to mitigate impoverishment risks and to protect and improve the livelihoods of affected households throughout the entire relocation process.
Highlights
Urban redevelopment and disaster mitigation relocation policies, in fast growing cities of developing countries, often include displacement and resettlement projects that are a substantial threat to informal settlements (Patel, D'Cruz, & Burra, 2002; Patel, Sliuzas, & Mathur, 2015; Viratkapan & Perera, 2006; Terminski, 2015; Koenig, 2011)
This study focuses on the emergence of such city-making and disaster risk reduction processes in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, and their impacts on affected slum dwellers
The current wave of modernisation in cities of fast developing countries in Africa is characterised by different ambitions that are increasing the number of urban populations displaced from their original communities, especially informal settlement dwellers
Summary
Urban redevelopment and disaster mitigation relocation policies, in fast growing cities of developing countries, often include displacement and resettlement projects that are a substantial threat to informal settlements (Patel, D'Cruz, & Burra, 2002; Patel, Sliuzas, & Mathur, 2015; Viratkapan & Perera, 2006; Terminski, 2015; Koenig, 2011). Recent studies argued that in addition to stress, households to be relocated might bear adverse socio-economic impacts even before their actual physical relocation, (i.e., the first stage referred to in this paper as the pre-displacement period) (Terminski, 2015; Patel et al, 2015; Koirala, Hill, & Morgan, 2017) Despite these examples of pre-resettlement livelihood changes, usually it is the livelihood change after moving to a new site that have been the central concern in most studies (Abebe & Hesselberg, 2015; Patel et al, 2002; Quetulio-Navarra, Niehof, Van der Horst, & van der Vaart, 2014; Vickery, 2017). Little attention has been paid to the systematic understanding of the predisplacement impacts on the livelihoods of households waiting to be displaced, the informal settlement dwellers (Koenig, 2011) This knowledge gap leads to a narrow conceptualisation of potential effects induced by the planning and implementation of those displacement processes. We present our conclusions and discuss the implications of the research findings and recommendations for future research directions
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