Socio-Economic Aspects of Mangrove Degradation in an Urban Setting

Abstract

In Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), the degradation of mangroves advances at a fast pace, especially in urban places. Rural to urban migration let urban settlements grow tremendously in the past 60 years. People built many informal settlements straight into mangrove forests. Health implications are severe, but settlements in mangrove forests provide protection against eviction. The case study provides insight into people's lives, perception and actions in a degraded mangrove forest in the eastern part of Suva, the capital of Fiji. The major question is why people are exposing themselves to serious environmental health hazards. Based on recent changes, the chapter also looks at development efforts that threaten residents of informal settlement to get evicted from the locations they right now reside. Investigations concentrate on people's actions in space, particularly, the role degraded urban mangroves play in their decision to reside in a particular place. A major explanation is that people want to reduce risk and enhance security: security from eviction.