Informal Settlement Dwellers Research Articles

Assessment of climate change knowledge of residents of informal sectors of Abuja Federal Capital City, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Urban informal settlement dwellers face uncertainties from climate change (CC) and need to understand its causes and impacts to adapt effectively. Few studies explore their levels of CC knowledge. This research surveyed 388 purposively selected households across five informal sectors in Abuja, Nigeria (Apo, Gaduwa, Garki, Jabi, and Mabushi), using structured questionnaires. Key variables assessed for their influence on CC knowledge included age, family size, education, income, livelihood type, tenure security, and marital status. Mann-Whitney and Chi-Square tests evaluated the significance of these factors. Findings showed that most households are aware of local CC trends, with perceptions closely aligning with scientific insights. However, understanding of CC causes and consequences remains limited. Among seven hypotheses tested, age, family size, income, and livelihood type significantly influenced CC knowledge, while education, tenure security, and marital status had little effect. The study highlights that even educated residents may lack comprehensive knowledge of CC causes. Enhancing scientific understanding in CC-prone communities is essential for effective adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Factors that influence choice of residence by urban informal settlement dwellers in an intermediate city: A case study of Enugu, Nigeria

<p>The consequences of urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa are poverty, insecurity, and the growth of informal settlements. These settlements are characterized by overcrowding, tenure insecurity, a lack of basic services and amenities, and many other deprivations. The current study looks at the social and environmental problems faced by residents and the factors responsible for their choice to reside in an informal settlement in Enugu using the survey research method. Primary and secondary data were utilized in the study. Whereas the former source includes a structured questionnaire and observations, the latter source comprises relevant literature. A total of 111 questionnaires were distributed to household heads in five selected informal settlements in Enugu. The data set was collated and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Principal component analysis was used to classify and determine the factors influencing the choice to reside in an informal settlement. The study revealed that six factors influence the choice of residence in informal settlements: government/political influence, social integration/services, housing/employment, infrastructure accessibility, livelihood costs and security/economy. The factors accounted for 72.11 percent of the factors influencing the choice to reside in an informal settlement. The major social challenges faced by residents are gambling, drug abuse, and overcrowding. The study recommends that low-cost housing that is affordable should be provided for the low-income group that characterizes informal settlements in Enugu metropolis.</p>

Ethnicity, social connectedness, and the rural-urban food continuum: Food security among urban informal settlement dwellers in Kenya

Rapid urbanization in developing countries is increasingly becoming an important development issue due to its negative effects on poverty and food insecurity in cities. This study investigated the determinants of the food insecurity gap among urban households living in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, and the role of social connectedness and the rural-urban food continuum. Using panel data collected from 385 households using a two-stage cluster sample design, the study applied panel data regression and decomposition models to understand the factors affecting food insecurity access scores and weekly household food consumption expenditure. Descriptive results showed a score of 8.00 for the pooled sample on the household food access scale, with households from other regions having a lower score (7.94) than those from the Western region (8.32). 43 % of households from Western Kenya engaged in farming in rural areas (43 %) and had higher social connectedness (45 %) than households from other regions. The results indicate that dependency ratio, income, savings, social connectedness, rural visits, and dietary knowledge are significant factors impacting food security. Decomposition of levels and change in food insecurity revealed that endowments from the random effects model contributed to reducing the food insecurity gap between households originating from the Western region and those from other regions. The study highlights the importance of considering regional factors and promoting social connectedness and rural-urban linkages in addressing food insecurity in informal urban settlements.

Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and their risk factors in an informal settlement in Freetown, Sierra Leone: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundNoncommunicable diseases (NCDs), especially hypertension and diabetes mellitus are on the increase in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Informal settlement dwellers exhibit a high prevalence of behavioural risk factors and are highly vulnerable to hypertension and diabetes. However, no study has assessed the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and NCDrisk factors among informal settlement dwellers in Sierra Leone. We conducted a study in June 2019 to determine the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and NCD risk factors among adults living in the largest Sierra Leonean informal settlement (KrooBay).Methods and materialsWe conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey among adults aged ≥ 35 years in the KrooBay community. Trained healthcare workers collected data on socio-demographic characteristics and self-reported health behaviours using the World Health Organization STEPwise surveillance questionnaire for chronic disease risk factors. Anthropometric, blood glucose, and blood pressure measurements were performed following standard procedures. Logistics regression was used for analysis and adjusted odd ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to identify risk factors associated with hypertension.ResultsOf the 418 participants, 242 (57%) were females and those below the age of 45 years accounted for over half (55.3%) of the participants. The prevalence of smoking was 18.2%, alcohol consumption was 18.8%, overweight was 28.2%, obesity was 17.9%, physical inactivity was 81.5%, and inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables was 99%. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 45.7% (95% CI 41.0-50.5%), systolic hypertension was 34.2% (95% CI 29.6–38.8%), diastolic blood pressure was 39.9% (95% CI 35.2–44.6), and participants with diabetes were 2.2% (95% CI 0.7–3.6%). Being aged ≥ 55 years (AOR = 7.35, 95% CI 1.49–36.39) and > 60 years (AOR 8.05; 95% CI 2.22–29.12), separated (AOR = 1.34; 95% 1.02–7.00), cohabitating (AOR = 6.68; 95% CL1.03-14.35), vocational (AOR = 3.65; 95% CI 1.81–7.39 ) and having a university education (AOR = 4.62; 95% CI 3.09–6.91) were found to be independently associated with hypertension.ConclusionThe prevalence of hypertension,and NCD risk factors was high among the residents of the Kroobay informal settlement. We also noted a low prevalence of diabetes. There is an urgent need for the implementation of health education, promotion, and screening initiatives to reduce health risks so that these conditions will not overwhelm health services.

Early detection of neurodevelopmental disorders in African children living in informal settlements in Nairobi

BackgroundChildren in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at a substantially increased risk of delayed physical, emotional and sociocognitive outcomes, with consequential neurodevelopmental disorders. Evidence based, cost-effective and culturally appropriate...

Power and poverty: A participatory study on the complexities of HIV and intimate partner violence in an informal urban settlement in Nairobi, Kenya

People in informal urban settlements in Kenya face multiple inequalities, yet researchers investigate issues such as HIV or intimate partner violence (IPV) in isolation, targeting single populations and focusing on individual behaviour, without involving informal settlement dwellers. We formed a study team of researchers (n = 4) and lay investigators (n = 11) from an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya to understand the power dynamics in the informal urban settlement that influence vulnerability to IPV and HIV among women and men from key populations in this context. We facilitated participatory workshops with 56 women and 32 men from different marginalised groups and interviewed 10 key informants. We used a participatory data analysis approach. Our findings suggest the IPV and HIV nexus is rooted in the daily struggle for cash and survival in the informal urban settlement where lucrative livelihoods are scarce and a few gatekeepers regulate access to opportunities. Power is gendered and used to exercise control over people and resources. Common coping strategies applied to mitigate against the effects of poverty and powerlessness amplify vulnerabilities to HIV and IPV. These complex power relations create and sustain an environment conducive to IPV and HIV. Prevention interventions thus need to address underlying structural drivers, uphold human rights, create safe environments, and promote participation to maximise and sustain the positive effects of biomedical, behavioural, and empowerment strategies.

Ascendant recentralisation: the politics of urban governance and institutional configurations in Nairobi

ABSTRACT This paper draws from two experiences with decentralisation in Kenya to illustrate the different ways through which the central government has sought to bolster its power at the expense of the local government in the country’s capital, Nairobi during periods of vertically-unified authority. In the first instance, it examines the years between 1983 and 1992 during which the central government appointed a Commission to replace the elected Nairobi City Council. The second period that is examined is between 2017 and 2022 when certain devolved functions were transferred from the elected Nairobi City County Government to a newly established institution appointed by the President, the Nairobi Metropolitan Service. During both periods authority was vertically unified with the ruling parties also being in control of the city. Drawing on a series of interviews with various stakeholders and inhabitants of informal settlements, the paper argues that contrary to what much literature suggests, recentralisation of urban governance not only occurs in situations of vertically-divided authority but can also occur where authority is unified. Some of the conditions that enabled these power consolidation moves together with the outcomes that these generated are also examined.

Indian Resettlement Colonies in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic

The importance of a safe environment and housing to protect people from the pandemic has been recognised by the United Nations (UN) Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2020), and all ‘eviction activities’ in India were suspended during the pandemic in 2020 as they not only violated Human rights but also worsened the struggling situation of the people (Chaudhry et al., 2021). Unfortunately, demolition of houses in urban and rural slums, and partial resettlement of forcefully evicted people took place across India even during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (Chaudhry et al., 2021). Thus, imposing a threat on their survival due to displacement, relocation, resettlement, and rehabilitation during the pandemic. This paper discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the densely populated resettlement colonies to identify and highlight the major issues in the need of urgent intervention. The objectives of the review articles are 1. To trace and discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the characteristic aspects of resettlement colonies, and 2. To identify issues that severely affected the quality of life in resettlement colonies. An integrative review of literature sources using research databases- Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and JSTOR to identify research articles, books, case studies, and government reports related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the resettlement colonies. The findings of the collated data indicate the socioeconomic marginalisation of informal settlement dwellers in terms of inadequate and inequitable distribution of infrastructural and civic amenities. The pre-existing problems due to scarcity of resources needed for a quality life and the daily struggle to maintain livelihood have been multiplied by the burden of the challenges imposed by the pandemic. An eclectic approach should be incorporated to identify and understand the problems due to pandemic in resettlement colonies. Based on the Human Rights for Adequate Housing (Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Article 25.1), realistic and effective developmental programs need to be developed and implemented focused on the best interests of the informal settlement dwellers.

“We Closed Down Mpape on the Judgement Day”: Resistance and Place-Making in Urban Informal Settlements in Abuja, Nigeria

Informal settlements in major urban areas are often derided through discourses as pockets of poverty, disorder, and marginalisation. Consequently, city planning officials often seek to eliminate or reduce such settlements for more ordered planned settlements. Yet, informal urban settlements continue to remain a part of urban life and have, in many places, increased in size and density. This paper provides an ethnographic account of the place-making activities deployed by informal settlement dwellers in Abuja, Nigeria, who face constant threats of displacement and eviction. We use place-making as an analytic lens with which to explore the discursive, political, and material strategies used by individuals and communities to resist the threats of displacement. Through ethnographic fieldwork in Mabushi and Mpape, we identify, on the one hand, the key material strategies of place-making to include incremental improvement to dwellings, planting of economic trees, and physical confrontations. On the other hand, the formation of settlement associations and active involvement in local politics with its attendant alliance-making have contributed to place-making strategies through the development of meanings, senses of togetherness, and belonging to the settlements. Our findings show the agency of informal settlement dwellers and how they use both material processes and discursive narratives to generate new meanings of place, tenure security, and the right to the city. This enables them to resist displacement from the urban environment. We conclude that a place-making approach to exploring informal settlements is fruitful for understanding the complexity of urban change processes in the Nigerian context.

Determinants of Deteriorated Self-Perceived Health Status among Informal Settlement Dwellers in South Africa

Self-perceived health (SPH) is a widely used measure of health amongst individuals that indicates an individual's overall subjective perception of their physical or mental health status. As rural to urban migration increases, the health of individuals within informal settlements becomes an increasing concern as these people are at high health and safety risk due to poor housing structures, overcrowding, poor sanitation and lack of services. This paper aimed to explore factors related to deteriorated SPH status among informal settlement dwellers in South Africa. This study used data from the first national representative Informal Settlements Survey in South Africa conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in 2015. Stratified random sampling was applied to select informal settlements and households to participate in the study. Multivariate logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to assess factors affecting deteriorated SPH among the informal settlement dwellers in South Africa. Informal settlement dwellers aged 30 to 39 years old (OR = 0.332 95%CI [0.131-0.840], p < 0.05), those with ZAR 5501 and more household income per month (OR = 0.365 95%CI [0.144-0.922], p < 0.05) and those who reported using drugs (OR = 0.069 95%CI [0.020-0.240], p < 0.001) were significantly less likely to believe that their SPH status had deteriorated compared to the year preceding the survey than their counterparts. Those who reported always running out of food (OR = 3.120 95%CI [1.258-7.737], p < 0.05) and those who reported having suffered from illness or injury in the past month preceding the survey (OR = 3.645 95%CI [2.147-6.186], p < 0.001) were significantly more likely to believe that their SPH status had deteriorated compared to the year preceding the survey than their counterparts. In addition, those who were employed were significantly (OR = 1.830 95%CI [1.001-3.347], p = 0.05) more likely to believe that their SPH status had deteriorated compared to the year preceding the survey than those who were unemployed with neutral SPH as a base category. Overall, the results from this study point to the importance of age, employment, income, lack of food, drug use and injury or illness as key determinants of SPH amongst informal settlement dwellers in South Africa. Given the rapid increasing number of informal settlements in the country, our findings do have implications for better understanding the drivers of deteriorating health in informal settlements. It is therefore recommended that these key factors be incorporated into future planning and policy development aimed at improving the standard of living and health of these vulnerable residents.

Gender, digital financial services and vulnerability in the era of pandemics: A cross-sectional analysis

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread across the world, infecting millions, and causing economic disruption on an unprecedented scale. While everyone is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerable communities are at the greatest risk. This study aims to examine the relationship between digital financial services (DFS), gender, and the vulnerability of informal settlement dwellers to COVID-19. Methods: We sampled a total of 2,697 households from 101 informal settlements across eleven out of sixteen administrative regions of Ghana. The regions were selected based on the relative severity of the pandemic, and the associated national lockdown regulations. Results: Adopting the ordinary least square analytical technique, the results reveal three main findings: First, we observe that males in informal settlements are more exposed to infected people or a person who died from COVID-19 than females. However, women are more vulnerable to the pandemic than men as vulnerable populations have a higher susceptibility to pandemics due to less capacity to implement preparedness and response strategies due to disparities in their societal status. Finally, we find that the vulnerability of informal dwellers is moderated using digital financial services. Conclusions: We conclude that there exist gender disparities regarding COVID-19 exposure and vulnerability. Also, by making use of digital financial services vulnerable groups can reduce their exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results provide policy implications for authorities designing policies to educate men more on the need to take preventive measures seriously as well as educate vulnerable populations to adopt digital financial services

People move, policies don’t: discursive partition against climate-impacted dwellers in urbanizing Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, internal climate displacement will continue pushing millions to the urbanizing centres where migrants make homes in informal settlements. These settlements, too, are sites for climate hazards such as heat stress and flooding, affecting climate-displaced and economic migrants alike. The demands of growing migrant populations and long-term informal settlement dwellers converge around rights to secure land and housing, acknowledged in policies at both national and urban scales. Yet, settlements continue to face evictions, revealing a significant mismatch between policy aspirations and concrete urban planning strategies. Based on our ongoing research in the informal settlements of Dhaka, Bangladesh, we point to a structural condition we call discursive partition which continues to exclude climate-impacted dwellers from urban resilience policies despite their formal recognition in national climate policies. Based on evidence of how climate-impacted dwellers themselves lead urban adaptation, we point to three critical revisitations for just climate adaptation plans.

Access to ecosystem services: Riverside informal settlement dwellers' perception in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

This study focuses on the most river-dependent community in a riverbank city, riverside informal settlement dwellers, who need access to ecosystem services to earn livelihoods. Most urban planning strategies do not consider their use and expectations of open and green spaces, and socio-ecological research on this aspect is limited. Thus, in this research, based on face-to-face in-depth interviews with 79 riverside informal settlement dwellers from three informal settlements in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, we qualitatively reflect on their perceptions of the importance of the ecosystem services provided by the river landscape for their everyday lives and livelihoods. The research findings indicate that informal settlementdwellers value rivers for enabling their life by providing food, water, cool breeze, shades from trees, recreation, social connection, mental satisfaction, and aesthetics. Besides, they also acknowledged the economic benefits of the river landscape. In several cases, urban development has led to gentrification by limiting informal settlement dwellers access to riverside open and green spaces. Riverside informal settlement dwellers remain largely excluded in urban ecological planning, even though they are among the groups most impacted by the scarcity of open and green spaces at the riverside. The findings of this study will help urban planners, socio-ecological researchers, and landscape designers to focus on urban river management strategies from the perspective of its bank informal settlement dwellers for inclusive and sustainable urban development.

Gender, digital financial services and vulnerability in the era of pandemics: A cross-sectional analysis

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread across the world, infecting millions and causing economic disruption on an unprecedented scale. While everyone is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerable communities are at the greatest risk. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between digital financial services (DFS), gender, and the vulnerability of informal settlement dwellers to COVID-19. Methods: We sampled a total of 2,697 households from 101 informal settlements across eleven out of sixteen administrative regions of Ghana. The regions were selected based on the relative severity of the pandemic, and the associated national lockdown regulations. Results: Adopting the multiple regression analytical technique, the results reveal three main findings: First, we observe that males in informal settlements are more likely to be exposed to infected people or a person who died from COVID-19 than females. However, women are more likely to be vulnerable to the pandemic than men as vulnerable populations have a higher susceptibility to pandemics due to less capacity to implement preparedness and response strategies due to disparities in their societal status. Finally, we find that the vulnerability of informal dwellers is moderated by the use of digital financial services. Conclusions: Our results provide policy implications for authorities designing policies to address vulnerability to pandemics in poor informal settlements in Africa.

Electricity and informal settlements: Towards achieving SDG 7 in developing countries

Despite many academic discussions on the importance of sustainable and reliable energy to informal settlement dwellers, there is limited evidence on the delivery of electricity in informal settlements, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the concept of tactical urbanism, this study examined electricity delivery and access to informal settlement dwellers in Accra, Ghana as an important component of meeting SDG seven. The paper analyses evidence collected through three focus group discussions of thirty informal settlement dwellers in three communities in Accra. The findings showed that whereas access to electricity in informal settlements has improved significantly, this increase is a result of corruption and connivance with electricity officials and that informal settlement dwellers pay exorbitantly to access and use electricity. This paper contributes to the growing body of scholarship on sustainable electricity in urban informal settlements in the Global South by documenting the experiences of informal settlement dwellers in Accra, Ghana.

Flood disaster evacuation route choice in Indonesian urban riverbank kampong: Exploring the role of individual characteristics, path risk elements, and path network configuration

Emergency evacuation is regarded as the most important disaster response action for protecting human life from potentially lethal threats. Despite growing research aimed at evaluating and modelling evacuation for strategic flood disaster preparedness, remarkably little is known about how informal settlement dwellers realized and negotiated surrounding environment for evacuation path route choice. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the dynamic interaction between human characteristics, path risk elements, and path network configuration in constructing flood evacuation route choices based on two cases study of urban riverbank kampongs in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. To understand these interactions, we applied a mixed method based on a qualitative research approach, which included (1) walking evacuation simulation with video analysis to understand the informality practices and kampong's space setting, (2) an analysis of dweller's narrative experience collected from walking interviews, (3) computational path network configuration analysis using space syntax. Our findings suggest that kampong dwellers selected evacuation routes differently based on their individual capacity, the safety performance of path design, and path network characteristics in accommodating the safest travel. When juxtaposing space syntax results with walking evacuation simulation, the individual evacuation route choice is highly related to space syntax measures (normalized angular choice at local radii), implying that the majority of residents still prefer to walk on the straightest route (the route with the least angular deviation) to reach the assembly/exit points. Furthermore, this research demonstrates that not all residents have the same capabilities to walk on the straightest evacuation route due to physical capacity and limitation that relates to gender and ages differences in negotiating path risk elements. The use of mixed method approaches provided a practical insight into emphasizing the human-centered perspective in planning an effective flood emergency evacuation for informal riverbank settlements through spatial design, planning, that respect vulnerable groups.

Determinants of diarrhoeal infections among users of shared sanitation in informal settlements in Durban, South Africa.

Diarrhoeal disease continues to be a major health problem in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries, mainly due to the lack of access to sanitation, water, and hygienic living conditions. Identifying the determinants of diarrhoeal infections continues to be a challenge in developing countries. In this study, we ascertained the factors behind diarrhoea among inhabitants of informal settlements in the city of Durban, South Africa. Prevalence of diarrhoea in the study area varied between 7-year historical clinical records and data collected during the current study (primary data), with the primary data giving the highest monthly prevalence odds ratio (POR) up to 18.1 (±1.6)%. The main factors associated with diarrhoeal infections were open defaecation (POR = 1.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.9-3.12), use of shared sanitation (POR = 1.7; 95%; CI: 1.05-2.26), and exposure to faecal matter around the homes (POR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.25-3.10). Several other factors were also determined to be associated with diarrhoeal infections, such as hygiene practices in the communities, the non-treatment of water before use, and the presence of solid waste and faecal materials around the households. This study shows that diarrhoeal disease infections in informal settlements could be multifactorial; therefore, a multifactorial approach is needed to reduce these infections. These could include improving education on hygiene practices within the home setting as well as in public places, such as the community ablution blocks.

Informal settlement and urban development discourse in the Global South: Evidence from Ghana

ABSTRACT The growth of informal settlements across the Global South has generated concomitant empirical research, and research attention has focused on a different aspect of informal settlements. However, despite the plethora of literature in the growing field of informal settlements research, there is a paucity of research concerning the contribution of informal settlement dwellers to the economic development of the urban economy, and the perception of informal settlement dwellers and their challenges, particularly in the context of many countries in Africa. The article contributes to fill this gap by examining the contribution of informal dwellers to urban economic development and the challenges they encounter in the process. Based on a case study involving in-depth interviews and focus group discussions in Accra, Ghana, the authors found that despite the challenges confronting informal dwellers and their characteristics, they contributed to urban development through revenue generation, labour provision, and the creation of employment. Furthermore, the findings uncovered context-specific contributions of informal settlements to urban development that helped both policy actors and practitioners. The authors conclude that the findings imply that urban managers should focus on the settlers and recognize the contributions of informal settlements to urban development.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA’S INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS: POLICY, PRACTICE AND COVID-19 IMPLICATIONS

The rise of informal settlements in the global south during the latter part of the twentieth century led to the role of disaster management being recognized as a crucial aspect of urban planning. As a result of this, the United Nations called for all the world’s governments to develop and integrate proactive and preventative disaster management policies into their respective countries’ development plans while integrating informal settlements in their urban planning initiatives in a bid to create inclusive cities. South Africa, being one of the countries that are heavily impacted by informal settlements, was swift to embrace these international recommendations, especially from a policy making perspective. The implementation of these policies has however been overshadowed by lacklustre government performance with respect to reducing the disaster risks associated with informal settlements or the inclusion of these areas in urban development. (hazards and lack of services aggravating disaster vulnerability) This article, therefore, explores the policy-practice realities that have given birth to the challenges faced by South Africa’s post-apartheid disaster management initiatives, especially with regard to the disaster vulnerability of informal settlement dwellers. By assessing how international best practice recommendations have influenced the country’s disaster management policy, the article proceeds to analyse the implementation inadequacies that have induced the existing policy-practice disjuncture, and the resultant safety and socio-economic concerns that arise for the country’s informal settlement dwellers. Also, with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic triggering a state of national disaster in the country, the article analyses the aggravated vulnerability of contacting and spreading of the virus amongst informal settlement residents, along with the socio-economic implications that the national lockdown restrictions have had on these areas. The findings of this article suggest that, although South Africa’s disaster management policy and legislation has comprehensively developed the necessary guidelines for all the spheres of government to play their respective roles in the country’s disaster reduction and recovery initiatives, Information from the government’s databases suggests that the implementation of risk preventative disaster management approaches has been extremely sporadic in informal settlements, despite these areas accounting for 75 per cent of where the country’s disasters events take place. Findings also suggest that South Africa’s informal settlement dwellers have been the hardest hit by the Covid-19 disaster, intensifying the levels of exclusion in these areas.

Cool roofs can mitigate cooling energy demand for informal settlement dwellers

Cities are critical to meeting our sustainable energy goals. Informal settlement redevelopment programs represent an opportunity to improve living conditions and curb increasing demand for active cooling. We introduce an energy modeling framework for informal settlements to investigate how building design decisions influence the onset of heat stress and energy-intensive cooling demand. We show that occupants of tropically-located informal settlements are most vulnerable to prolonged heat stress year-round. Up to 98% of annual heat stress exposure can be mitigated by improving the building envelope. We find a universal solution (cool roofs) that reduces up to 91% of annual heat stress exposure. Finally, we show how proposed redevelopment building schemes could worsen thermal conditions of dwellers and further increase urban energy demand. Our results underscore how building design affects human well-being and highlight potential near-term and long-term pathways for reducing energy-intensive cooling demand for 800+ million informal settlement dwellers worldwide.