SLUMS & SQUATTER SETTLEMENT Definition: • Slums are predominantly an overcrowded areas which is in an advance state of decay where dwelling units are unfit for human habitation. • The structures there in are an old and dilapidated, grossly congested, out of repairs, unsafe and lacking sanitation. • These structures are legally / semi legally / illegally constructed and are of permanent or semi permanent construction. • The housing conditions are substandard due to age, neglect, subdivision and subsequent overcrowding.
SLUMS & SQUATTER SETTLEMENT Slums are classified into: • Squatter's settlements: illegally constructed on the land without land title or authority • Old dilapidated housing stock: legal but physical condition is substandard • Two terms ‘slums’ and ‘squatters’ are frequently observed to be used interchangeably. • But it should be noted that ‘Every squatter is a slum but every slum is not necessarily a squatter’.
Squatter settlement • Squatter settlement is resulted by squatting on land. • Squatting is defined as the encroachment into another’s land for one’s own use without title of right. • The act of squatting may occur either on public land or private property "Hence, squatter settlements are residential areas developed without legal claims to the land and permission from the authorities to build."
Squatter settlement squatter settlements commonly known: • as Sukumbasi ( Nepal), • jhuggis, jhopad patti, basti (India), • Ghetto (USA), etc. • Favela (latin America) • In Kathmandu valley only, more than 70 squatter settlements have been identified which includes Bansighat (east and west of Thapathali Bridge), Ramghat, Bishnumati, etc. • According to the Society for the Preservation of Shelters and Habitation in Nepal (SPOSH‐Nepal) • ‐ In Nepal, 4 million squatters, living in cities and towns, • ‐ 50,000 in Kathmandu only
Squatter settlement • The origin of squatter settlement is primarily due to the inability to cope the demand for dwelling and land. • rapid urbanization + ever increasing population + the public and private sector is not meeting the growing demand for dwelling and land‐‐‐‐‐ >> squatting becomes essential. • Extremely marginalized (poor and disadvantaged) population in urban area can not afford the formal housing; hence squatting becomes inevitable for them. • The government also has an attitude of ‘benign neglect’ towards the settlement of low and very income section of population. Moreover, the problem is worsened by mismanagement in modern practice and procedures of urban development resulting wasteful of land and services on very large scale and doing almost nothing to help poor in any circumstances.
Squatter settlement • Squatter settlements have emerged mainly due to: – – – – – – – – –
increasing urban poverty and inequality. Marginalization of Poor neighborhoods. inadequacy of job opportunities, Inability of the poor to access the affordable land for housing insufficient investment in new low‐income housing immigration natural calamities like flooding, land sliding and erosion Conflicts.
Physical Transformations
1967
2001
2010
Employment opportunities available in town and cities have acted as magnet in attracting rural population >> encouraging migration. >> led to various accommodation constraints. >> People unable to pay the price of standard of living are forced to stay & expand squatter settlements. •
Squatter settlement Factors contributing to the growth of these settlements: • Easy distance from the place of work, • low cost of living as compared to other places, • access (though limited) to amenities and services, • invitation from friends and relatives • protection by political groups, • house allotment and regularization of authorized colonies, • political disturbances, policy dilemma, etc.
Squatter settlement • Location of squatters: – Periphery or Inner city: – Marginal lands like roads, railways, riverbanks and steep hills: – Near factories / industries:
• Land type: – – – –
Public land or Private land (empty) Disputed land Marginal lands unsafe – vulnerable to natural hazards. (steep slope, flood prone, or contaminated)
Problems of Squatters Settlements
• Substandard living conditions: in compare to WHO standards. • Congested housing with narrow lanes and narrow setbacks between huts • Crowded rooms with more persons living on small area without proper ventilation and lighting. • Unsafe housing because of temporary construction material and workmanship, often prone to fire hazards
• Lack of sanitation with improper solid waste disposal, drainage. • Health related problems due improper sanitation & fooding habit and abuses • Very low literacy , high fertility, and mortality • Threat of eviction at any time due to lack of land title & authorization
• Mostly deprived of basic urban services like potable water supply, drainage, electricity, etc.
• Low moral character , civic sense and knowledge • Lack of security
'Numbari' zone (formal self grown) 'Sukumbasi' zone (informal)
Outsider Insider
Figure Divides Source: Google Maps
• Lack of security • Environmental problem because of their marginal location like polluted riverbanks • Stigmatization
Positive aspects of slums • • • • •
organic form of urban development similar to how most cities in the world were originally formed and grew. dense and mixed land use forms – 'walking citeis' of ancient times. narrow streets are suitable for walking – if upgraded = car free and desirable. highly compact settlement = strong urban communities and high level of social capital. stronger community ties‐ higher level of trust than in affluent suburbs where people donot know each other. "Dharavi, which is allegedly Asia's biggest slum is vibrantly and triumphantly alive… In fluorescent strip lit shops, in snatched exchanges in the pedestrain crush as a hookah is passed around a tea stall, again and again the area the seem every is working hard and every is moving up;" – ECONOMIST.
Planning Sustainable Cities — Global Report on Human Settlements 2009 http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?typeid=19&catid=555&cid=5607
Global Concerns • MGD goals : 'cities without slums' • Target 7.D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers
Planning Issues • Debate and controversy ‐ about recognizing them by the state • Eviction: Attempts were made to evict few squatter settlements in the past, declaring them illegal encroachment >> but NOT successful. Eviction is not the solution. • Uni‐directional perspective 'illegal' : There is growing consensus that squatting should not be seen only as illegal activity, rather it should also be noticed on the social justice and humanitarian ground. • Middle Path: Rather, compromised solution between value of urban land and social justice is to be discovered. • Proper management needs to be done to improve the living condition in the squatter settlements. 'upgrading' • Discourage new: new squatter settlements should be discouraged. Nowadays a no. of CBOs and NGO and INGOs are working for improving livelihood of squatters >> Lumanti, CIUD, Squatter’s union, Local government and State also willingly or unwillingly is providing basic urban services in them to some extent.
Pro Urban Poor Inclusive Urban Policy •
Healthy and secured shelter
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access to safe drinking water
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employment security
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regular job with dignity
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access to safe and efficient transport
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access to good quality education.
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equal access to information and opportunities.
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easy access to resources and market
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access to energy and resources
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access to health services.
Planning Issues Critical issues in planning: 1. Investment decision: ‐ Who will make investment, whether the central government or the concerned local government or development agencies? 2. Selection of squatter settlement: Squatter settlements are to be selected based on physical characteristics such as location, density and existing level of services. 3. Land tenure: What do the squatters contribute in reward of the land for shelter? Option is to be selected among – granting land tenure (communal ownership, tenure security, granting land title etc) – charging minimum price or – setting lease system – relocation with affordable housing
Planning Issues 4. Feasibility of buildings and building loan: • Feasibility of building is to be sought, keeping in view the environmental sensitivity of the place. 'tenability assessment' • Who will agree to provide building loan, whether it is government or the private banks. • Will the private banks be attracted on this scheme? 5. Methods of cost recovery: • Once the investment is made on this settlement what would be the mode of cost recovery? • How to assure continuous income?
Planning Issues 6. Community participation: • Will the squatter community participate on the scheme brought for improving squatter settlement? • How to convince them and assure them?
7. Management and replication: • How to manage the overall process? • What about the institutional set up, administration for control and monitoring, etc. • How to replicate the model on other squatter settlement?
DATA COLLECTION 26th September 2011
What is Data ? • Data is a Fact or information used for decision making. • Data refer measurements or observations of a set of variables. • Data are often viewed as a lowest level of abstraction from which information and knowledge are derived.
Types of data In terms of sources:
1. Primary data – – – –
also known as original data. directly collected by the investigator himself, on the field. original in character, collected by research bodies, normally shows subject matter in desired details and may not contain mistakes.
‐ E.g. census survey by central bureau of statistics.
2. Secondary data – – – –
the data of second hand. not original one but obtained from primary data collected by others published / unpublished Key informant ‐ >> provides other known information
SOURCE OF DATA
Method and Techniques of Data Collection 1. Interview: • oral questioning to respondents, either individually or as a group. • can be recorded or written down or or by a combination of both. (recording must be done with consent) • This method is used only in such cases where field of investigation is narrow. • Guided conversation rather than structured query • question may be fluid • long interviews or short or in focus groups • Open ended / structured questions.
Interviews Merits: • The more accurate information can be obtained • Easy method • Due to personal presence of investigator there is flexibility of cross enquiry Demerits: • Be Careful : Verbal report È shortcomings could be ‐ – Bias, poor recall, inaccurate articulation – Reasonable approach = corroborate it with other sources.
• This method may become costly and time consuming • Not applicable where the field of information is vast and informants are scattered.
2. Observation •
OBSERVATION = systematically selecting, watching and recording behavior and characteristics of living beings, objects or phenomena.
• Non‐participant observation: The observer watches the situation, openly or concealed, but does not participate. • – – –
Participant observation: Not passive – but taking variety of roles Social interaction taking functional activity within neighborhood Being a resident Staff member in an organizational setting
• Opportunity to visit site. • Assumption – some behaviours/envt. Conditions are still available E.g. meetings/sidewalk activities/ factory work/classroom/spatial data for planning Use : • To provide additional info. • To add new dimension for understanding • To get photographs – for outsider Some consideration : • In some case might need permission • For reliability : have more observer than single
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+ve : as unusual oppotunity – – – – –
Access to evidence Percieve reality from someone’s viewpoint Accurate portrayal Access to other sources (record, interview, meetings) Can make manipulations – can create variety of situations to collect data.
• ‐ve : – Potential bias – Became a supporter of group – Require too much attention in roles – hence less time to take notes and raise qns. – In case of disperse locality – difficult to match right time and right place
3. Questionnaires • A QUESTIONNAIRE is a data collection tool in which written questions are presented that are to be answered by the respondents in written form. • A written questionnaire can be administered in different ways, such as by: – Sending questionnaires by mail with clear instructions on how to answer the questions and asking for mailed responses; – Gathering all or part of the respondents in one place at one time, – giving oral or written instructions, and letting the respondents fill out the questionnaires; or – Hand‐delivering questionnaires to respondents and collecting them later.
• The questions can be either open‐ended or closed (with pre‐ categorised answers).
Merits: •
The information can be easily obtained where the scope of the investigation is very vast
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The method is least expensive, as the informants are not approached personally
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Since the information are supplied by the informants themselves, the bias of the investigator is eliminated
Demerits: •
Where the informants are illiterate this method could not be used
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The greatest draw back is considered non response. Most of the informants don’t fill up the questionnaire and destroy it
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It is difficult to verify the answer given
4. Sampling Sampling is the selection of individual observations (Sample) intended to yield some knowledge about a population of concern, especially for the purposes of statistical inference • A sample is representative part of whole, • Population is the entire observations • In this method, information is obtained only from a part of the population (sample) & based on its data; inferences are drawn for entire population. Different types like 1. Random sampling 2. Stratified sampling 3. Systematic sampling 4. Cluster sampling
4. Sampling
4. Sampling
Sampling Merits: • Less costly • Less time consuming • More detailed information can be collected • It is adequate when the area of survey is vast Demerits: • Non reliable representative can mislead the data • Inexperienced investigator can not make the best choice of the informants.