INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS
Definition:
Low income settlements, housing, shelters which are illegal that fall outside of government
control or regulation.
Terms:
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Characteristics:
• heavily populated/overcrowded/high density
• dilapidated unfit for human habitation/ poorly constructed
• poor sanitation – no drains or toilets. Deprived of access to safe water.
Inadequate drainage leads to water flowing between shacks. Pools of stagnant water form
which are ideal breeding habitats for mosquitoes. People tend to dispose of waste water
into waterways that flow between the informal homes, causing smells and water borne
diseases such as dysentery and cholera. Many informal homes are not connected to the
formal waterborne sewerage system, thus chemical portable toilets service residents.
These portable toilets are usually located next to streets on the outskirts of the informal
settlements. Residents have to navigate dangerous pathways to get to these sanitation
services.
• Lack of ventilation
• Collection of waste between the dwellings is difficult. This attracts disease infested vermin
(rats)worsening health conditions within the slum
• Unplanned nature and the overpopulated ground usage, has forced some to build housing
below the flood line of rivers and in some instances on unsafe slopes
• Fires spread easily as candles, gas and coal are used
Reason
Informal settlements exist because of rapid ___________________________. People in
search of jobs flock into the major hubs which dramatically increases the rate of unskilled
labour migrating to major cities.
Examples
Lal Bagh is Dehli’s largest slum having a population of more than 370 000 and spreading over
an area of just one kilometre. Clogged drains, narrow lanes, cramped houses and heaps of
garbage characterise the slums. During the rainy season there is standing water everywhere,
spreading all kinds of water borne diseases. Community toilets have no doors or latches and
enclosures for taking showers are without doors and tap connections. Toilets are full of filth
and human excreta as water supply through pipes was not working. No privacy.
In Uganda many locals live below the poverty line, with nothing to eat and no clothes to put
on. Slums are overpopulated, urban informal settlements defined by poverty, low income,
miserable living conditions and sub-standard facilities. Houses are overcrowded with cracked
walls, dirty rooms and frequently leaking roofs. Rent for semi-permanent, temporary
structures without proper sanitation in the slums of Uganda is so high despite their poor
conditions and people live in constant fear of eviction.
A daily challenge is the search for clean water, because the small trenches that run through
the slums are so dirty and full of life-threatening diseases like typhoid, bilharzia and cholera.
Poor people have to get water from other sources like public paid taps, private taps, or
protected wells. The ground is carpeted by rubbish. When it comes to education many
teenage girls have been impregnated and dropped out of school. Most children are sent to
look for simple jobs, to work and supplement the family income. The main economic activities
are small businesses which maintain little kiosks, selling of water and sadly prostitution.
Young girls are victims of rape, robbery and theft are the order of the day.
Khayelitsha in South Africa is a shanty town located near the city of Cape Town which has a
population of over 1.8 million people. The settlement is overcrowded and overpopulated. The
area does not have enough resources to support the growing population. Poor sanitation and
limited health care can lead to the spread of disease. Public transport is limited.
Almost a quarter of Rio's inhabitants - or 1.5 million people - live in the favelas, crowded
jumbles of tin-roof shacks and narrow, impromptu streets. They are often situated on the hills
overlooking wealthy neighbourhoods.
In Surabaya in Indonesia funding was raised from development organizations, including the
World Bank, to provide basic infrastructure such as gutters, paved footpaths, stormwater
drainage, public toilets, waste management and primary schools. On top of physical
interventions, the city empowered individuals to participate in planning processes and
upgrading their homes. Communities typically contributed between one-third and one-half of
upgrade costs. Residents also helped with the ongoing operation and management of projects
like piped water and roads, which created a greater sense of neighbourhood ownership and
agency
List six characteristics that these settlements/ slums have in common
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Living below the poverty line is also referred to as__________________________________
Differentiate between: overcrowded and overpopulated ____________________________
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Many cities 'preferred’ solution to fixing deteriorating slum conditions and affordable housing
shortages has been to simply knock slums down and rebuild in the most cost-effective way
possible, usually on the city's outskirts. Suggest why this suggestion may not be the ‘preferred’
solution.
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Indonesia has grappled with rapid urbanization and the proliferation of city slums for
decades. In Surabaya they haven’t just knocked the slums down. How have they opted to fix
them?
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