Environment and Urbanization recent issues

Getting land for housing; what strategies work for low-income groups?

Satterthwaite, D. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

Land for housing the poor -- by the poor: experiences from the Baan Mankong nationwide slum upgrading programme in Thailand

Boonyabancha, S. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

This paper describes the nationwide "slum" upgrading (Baan Mankong) programme in Thailand, which supports community organizations to find their own solutions to getting land for housing. Between 2003 and 2008, the programme supported 512 upgrading initiatives involving 1,010 communities. Community organizations form their own savings groups and draw on soft loans, and find solutions that work best for them in terms of location, price and tenure, and negotiate with the landowners. Infrastructure subsidies can be drawn on to support the upgrading, and housing may be built or just improved. Collective land ownership strengthens the community processes that help households make the challenging transition from informal to formal, provides protection against market forces that often lead poorer households to sell, and encourages on-going community responses and less hierarchic community organization. Larger citywide networks of community groups work with local governments and other civil society groups to help find land solutions for all those living in informal settlements.

Land, CBOs and the Karachi Circular Railway

Hasan, A. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

The Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) was planned in 1962 as a goods service linking five important work areas of the city. Subsequently, it was upgraded for commuter use as well. Pakistan Railways now wish to upgrade and expand the circular railway and double-track those parts of it that are single track. However, for this to be done about 20,000 households living in informal settlements along the railway tracks will have to be evicted and relocated. The residents of the informal settlements have organized themselves as part of the All Pakistan Alliance for Katchi Abadis (APAKA), and their local chapter is known as the Network of Railway Colonies. Two Karachi NGOs, the Orangi Pilot Project—Research and Training Institute (OPP—RTI) and the Urban Resource Centre (URC), have been instrumental in supporting the Network of Railway Colonies and other community organizations in surveying the "encroachments" (both formal and informal) along the railway tracks and in documenting the histories of the different settlements. This documentation has strengthened the negotiating power of the railway land informal settlements, whose communities have also made a number of proposals for changes and alternatives to the government’s scheme.

Struggles for urban land by the Zimbabwe Homeless People's Federation

Chitekwe-Biti, B. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

This paper discusses the land struggles of the urban poor in Zimbabwe and the emerging strategies used by the alliance of the Zimbabwe Homeless People’s Federation and its partner Dialogue on Shelter to address these struggles in the face of continued economic and political crisis. The paper looks at how they are navigating this space and creating new solutions for housing and livelihood strategies. It considers the recent history of informal settlements and government measures to control or destroy them, including Operation Murambatsvina in 2005, which made hundreds of thousands of people homeless. It discusses the pragmatic decisions regarding partnership with different government agencies that the alliance has had to make in light of the sustained political and economic crisis, and the positive responses, especially from some local governments. It suggests that these decisions and strategies taken at a time of crisis and rapid change should be seen as part of a longer-term debate that seeks to change the relationship between communities of the urban poor and the state. Today, the alliance presents government with an alternative way of dealing with land and housing issues. Although progress to date has been minimal given the scale of need, there is a strong basis for partnership that can be scaled up.

The efforts of a federation of slum and shanty dwellers to secure land and improve housing in Moratuwa: from savings groups to citywide strategies

D'Cruz, C., McGranahan, G., Sumithre, U. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

In Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, the tsunami disaster of 2004 forced new ways of working on both organizations of the urban poor and local authorities. Building on this experience, an emerging federation of the urban poor (built on community savings groups) has been collaborating with local authorities to secure land and adequate housing in two deprived settlements unaffected by the tsunami. This article examines these recent initiatives and their citywide relevance. The federation (the Women’s Development Bank Federation) receives support from a local NGO (Janarukula) and is affiliated with an international confederation (Slum Dwellers International), whose principles are also evident in these improvement efforts. One of the two settlements is located on the periphery of Moratuwa, where land is plentiful and existing plots can be upgraded. The other is a central settlement, where land is scarcer and the federation has opted for multi-storey residences. Securing community control over the multi-storey development has proved difficult and has required far tighter collective action. Success in dense settlements is important, however, if the federation is to meet its goal of creating a citywide strategy.

Regularizing land tenure within upgrading programmes in Argentina; the cases of Promeba and Rosario Habitat

Almansi, F. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

This paper describes two large-scale upgrading programmes in Argentina that sought to transfer land tenure to the inhabitants of informal settlements as part of a larger process that provided good quality infrastructure and services and other measures to strengthen their social inclusion in the wider city. In doing this, they went beyond the proposition that providing the urban poor with legal land titles in itself reduces poverty. The paper discusses the constraints on such programmes, including the long, complex process of getting land titles. Both upgrading programmes faced challenges from slow bureaucratic procedures and inadequate and fragmentary regulatory frameworks, with urban standards that were inappropriate to the social reality of low-income households. The paper notes that upgrading programmes will always lag behind need unless they are supported by more appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks.

Community-driven land tenure strategies: the experiences of the Homeless People's Federation of the Philippines

Teodoro, J. I. E, Rayos Co, J. C. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

This paper describes and discusses community-driven land tenure initiatives to address the issue of access to land in urban areas in the Philippines. This includes countering actual and threatened displacements from market-driven land, housing and urban development policies, mega-infrastructure development and disasters. The paper begins with a review of the relevant Philippines land and housing policies and their implications. It then describes the experience of the Homeless People’s Federation of the Philippines with three different land acquisition strategies (direct negotiated purchase, the Community Mortgage Programme, and usufruct schemes) in responding to the need for land and housing and to threats of, or actual, displacements. This includes case studies of community-led land acquisition initiatives by federation homeowners associations in Montalban, Iloilo and Albay (direct purchase), Quezon City (Community Mortgage Programme) and Quezon City and Muntinlupa (usufruct). It then considers what has been learned from these initiatives and what they imply for enabling mechanisms and policies to benefit self-help, low-income communities in their land tenure improvement initiatives. This includes a discussion of the potential advantages of usufruct in securing tenure more easily than with conventional land titling programmes.

The limits of land titling and home ownership

Payne, G., Durand-Lasserve, A., Rakodi, C. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

This paper reviews whether land titling programmes have achieved the benefits claimed by their proponents. It finds that they have generally failed to do so. Investment in land and housing, access to formal credit, and municipal revenues have not increased noticeably more than under other tenure regimes, including those that allow many unauthorized settlements, and there is no significant evidence of poverty levels being reduced. Titling does provide increased tenure security — but many alternative forms of tenure, including those in many informal settlements, also provide high levels of security. In addition, in many nations, land titles do not necessarily protect people from eviction and expropriation of their land. Land titling often fails to increase access to credit, and low-income households who obtain titles are often as reluctant to take loans as banks are to lend to them. Titling also does not necessarily improve infrastructure and services provision, while many settlements have obtained improved provision without titles.

Renovation not relocation: the work of Paguyuban Warga Strenkali (PWS) in Indonesia

Some, W., Hafidz, W., Sauter, G. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

This paper describes the changes in official policy on riverside development in Surabaya, negotiated by the residents of low-income riverside settlements through their organization, Paguyuban Warga Strenkali Surabaya (PWS). They shifted the official policy from relocation to redevelopment by organizing the riverside communities and by developing their own proposals to show how flooding could be avoided and city development promoted through upgrading. As a member of the province’s parliament noted, there is a large difference between communities threatened with eviction saying: "Help us because we are poor" and "Listen, we have this problem and here is a possible solution." The riverside communities now have five years to upgrade their homes and work with the government to clean up the rivers and clear space for riverside roads without evicting residents. The paper describes the work that is underway and how it is supported by savings groups. It also describes the constraints, which still include eviction threats and the lack of funding available to support the communities’ own processes and priorities. PWS plans to develop a revolving fund to support house renovation.

The dynamics of land use in Lahore inner city: the case of Mochi Gate

Ezdi, R. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

This paper discusses the dynamics of land use in the inner city of Lahore, based on a study of the Mochi Gate locality in particular. This includes a description of the evolution and transformation of the area over time and its development into a successful centre for wholesale, small-scale manufacturing and support services, much of which is based in informal enterprises. Principles of land use organization that lead to the successful commercial functioning of the area include strategic location, close physical proximity between "firms", and a clustering of similar trades. Paradoxically, while the area is an important pillar in the city economy, it also suffers from symptoms typical of inner-city decay such as acute traffic congestion, dilapidated infrastructure, out-migration and a general deterioration of the built fabric. To date, attempts to address causes of decay have been fragmented and have failed to understand and incorporate key local actors, systems and processes. In so doing, this has also risked disrupting a major economic node in the city that provides livelihoods for a large low-income population. The paper argues that any attempt towards a successful upgrading of the area must be rooted in an understanding of these existing local "systems" of operation and organization.

Growing city, shrinking hinterland: land acquisition, transition and conflict in peri-urban Gurgaon, India

Narain, V. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

This paper describes the implications of the land acquisition process in a village in the Gurgaon district of Haryana state in northwestern India. Gurgaon city, the district capital, is emerging as a major industrial hub, its growth made possible by the large-scale acquisition of agricultural lands by the government. The expansion of the city has altered patterns of rural natural resource use, created social, cultural and economic changes, and bred resentment among many peri-urban residents against urban authorities. The current top-down policies for land acquisition need to be revisited and replaced by more participative processes in which landowners and peri-urban residents themselves are involved. The speedy disbursement of reimbursements for lands acquired, and the spread of livelihood generation activities, can make processes of urbanization more inclusive and participatory. Improving transportation and connectivity to the city will be essential for sustaining new peri-urban livelihoods.

Crisis or adaptation? Migration and climate change in a context of high mobility

Tacoli, C. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

The impacts of climate change are likely to affect population distribution and mobility. While alarmist predictions of massive flows of refugees are not supported by past experiences of responses to droughts and extreme weather events, predictions for future migration flows are tentative at best. What we do know is that mobility and migration are key responses to environmental and non-environmental transformations and pressures. They should therefore be a central element of strategies of adaptation to climate change. This requires a radical change in policy makers’ perceptions of migration as a problem and a better understanding of the role of local and national institutions in supporting and accommodating mobility.

Towards sustainable residential communities; the Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) and beyond

Chance, T. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

This paper describes the design, construction and management of the Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED), a high density residential development that accommodates a mix of income groups and combines homes and workspaces. It dramatically reduces carbon dioxide emissions per person from the homes and encourages and supports other aspects of a sustainable lifestyle — including reduced water use and reduced private automobile use. The paper also describes and discusses the limits to what residential developments such as these can achieve by themselves in relation to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ecological footprints, especially those related to household choices (for instance, residents’ choice to fly) and to the policies and infrastructure for the district and city where BedZED is located (for instance, the quality of public transport). The paper outlines a residential development in Brighton that drew on the experience with BedZED and describes work with the local government in the borough where BedZED is located to address these larger-scale sustainable lifestyle issues.

The implications of population growth and urbanization for climate change

Satterthwaite, D. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

This paper considers the implications of population growth and urbanization for climate change. It emphasizes that it is not the growth in (urban or rural) populations that drives the growth in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but rather, the growth in consumers and in their levels of consumption. A significant proportion of the world’s urban (and rural) populations have consumption levels that are so low that they contribute little or nothing to such emissions. If the lifetime contribution to GHG emissions of a person added to the world’s population varies by a factor of more than 1,000 depending on the circumstances into which they are born and their life choices, it is misleading to see population growth as the driver of climate change. A review of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions levels for nations, and how they changed between 1980 and 2005 (and also between 1950 and 1980), shows little association between nations with rapid population growth and nations with high GHG emissions and rapid GHG emissions growth; indeed, it is mostly nations with very low emissions per person (and often only slowly growing emissions) that have had the highest population growth rates. The paper also discusses how in the much-needed planning for global emissions reduction, provision must be made to allow low-income, low-consumption households with GHG emissions per person below the global "fair share" level to increase their consumption.

The Urban Poor Development Fund in Cambodia: supporting local and citywide development

Phonphakdee, S., Visal, S., Sauter, G. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

Following the Pol Pot era in Cambodia, the high levels of poverty, rapid urban growth and low level of community organization were exacerbated by an absence of government support for the poor. The Urban Poor Development Fund (UPDF) was established in 1998 to provide support to a growing number of community-based savings groups. It provides loans and grants for land acquisition, upgrading, house building, income generation and food production, but also gives community savings groups the chance to improve their knowledge, their confidence and their capacity; most critically, it supports them to develop better relations with government agencies. By April 2008, 122 communities in Phnom Penh and 44 communities in 11 other cities had received support — more than 22,000 households in total.

Book Notes

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

Bulletin Board

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:47 PDT

Summaries of Articles

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:10:48 PDT

Editorial: What role for mayors in good city governance?

Satterthwaite, D. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

Rosario's development; interview with Miguel Lifschitz, mayor of Rosario, Argentina

Almansi, F. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

This paper draws on an interview with Miguel Lifschitz, who is in his second term as mayor of Rosario, Argentina's third largest city. It describes the city's strategic planning and the support it provided for local economic development and for the large expansion of public space — with the city government working with private landowners to restore the riverbank area and create many new parks and other public spaces. It also describes the municipal government's social policies, including the modernization and expansion of health care and the introduction of a city police force, and its support for participatory budgeting and decentralization, including the role of municipal district centres that concentrate many public services and support community programmes in each of the city's six districts. The mayor also describes the difficulties his administration has faced — for instance, its limited capacity to reduce unemployment (although the city government has done much to support local economic development) and the difficulties of working with national and provincial governments and neighbouring municipalities controlled by different political parties.

Being a mayor: the view from four Colombian cities

Davila, J. D — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

Local governments are particularly relevant to people's daily lives as they manage the infrastructure and services that directly influence quality of life. Elected mayors tend to be more responsive to the needs of the poor majority than centrally appointed mayors or mayors who are elected by fellow councillors. Colombia's municipal mayors have been elected since 1988 and local governments have been given increased responsibilities and powers to raise local revenues. In this paper, four municipal mayors at the end of their four-year term reflect, in their own words, on the role they have played in shaping their municipalities. They recount their personal engagement with local politics, share their views about their society and problems such as poverty, inequality and violence, describe the business of managing a local government and exercising leadership sometimes in difficult circumstances, reflect on the qualities of a mayor, and explain how they sought continuity for their government programmes. They see themselves as outsiders struggling against local political machineries. With one exception, they do not seem to see the poor as their natural interlocutors on whom they can rely for unswerving political support and to whom most of their energy should be directed.

"For enhanced civic participation in local governance": calling tyranny to account in Harare

Kamete, A. Y — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

The Combined Harare Residents' Association (CHRA) is a social movement organization that operates in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. It seeks to represent the needs and priorities of all residents. At the national level, it tussles with a state that is repressive and intolerant of anything construed as protest. Locally, it questions the legitimacy of the municipal authority that was appointed by the national government after the elected city government was dissolved and the elected mayor dismissed. This paper explores CHRA's relentless bid to uphold the interests of Harare's residents and ensure "enhanced civic participation in local government", and includes three cases that illustrate how they seek to do so: contesting the legitimacy of the imposed authority; representing citizen views on budgetary processes (including demands for a rates boycott); and contesting the transfer of responsibility for water and sanitation to a new parastatal. It also discusses the Association's ways of working and repertoire of tactics, and brings out some salient issues that include questions of regime change, alliances, engagement and radicalization, and possible ways in which CHRA might become more effective.

The limit of community initiatives in addressing resettlement in Kurasini ward, Tanzania

Ndezi, T. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

This paper describes the process adopted for the redevelopment of Kurasini ward in Dar-es-Salaam to allow for the expansion of the port. The redevelopment includes the resettlement of more than 36,000 people who have been living in various informal settlements within the ward. However, the resettlement and compensation offer nothing to most residents who are tenants. It has also failed to identify alternative sites for the displaced people. The paper describes how the Tanzania Urban Poor Federation (TUPF) and the Centre for Community Initiatives (a local NGO) are collaborating with the municipal authorities and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements to develop alternative solutions for land and shelter for the displaced people. This includes the federation purchasing land and developing it, and also suggesting plot layouts that can cut unit costs. Drawing on this example, the author argues that in resettlement projects, national and local government agencies need to be flexible in addressing the needs of all the urban poor, including not only the owners of the structures in informal settlements but also the tenants.

Bloggers' street movement and the right to the city. (Re)claiming Cairo's real and virtual "spaces of freedom"

Salah Fahmi, W. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

Faced with formidable challenges to expression in Cairo's public spaces, urban blogger activists have developed new ways of articulating dissent, namely spatial tactics ranging from boycott campaigns, cyber-activism and protest art, to innovations in mobilization, means of communication and organizational flexibility. This is particularly evident in the way these activists have (re)claimed Cairo's contested public spaces in downtown Unions Street and Midan al Tahrir (Liberation Square) and transformed them into zones for public protest, employing urban installations and street graffiti and constructing significant sites of urban resistance and spatial contestation. The emergence of this grassroots street activism opens up a new public sphere through which the role of urban governance might be contested to accommodate cultural identities within various forms of spatiality and popular democracy.

Social movements and the production of housing in Buenos Aires; when policies are effective

Scheinsohn, M., Cabrera, C. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

This paper highlights some emerging issues that are critical to the popular housing development carried out within the context of political movements in Buenos Aires in recent years. We analyze the role of the political dimension — in terms of participation in the public domain and of the relationship with power structures — in generating efficient conditions for housing development. This kind of undertaking, framed within a politically organized social movement, has significant capacity for dialogue with the state. On the one hand this allows for mediations that operate as control guarantees, but on the other it generates power and public presence inequalities among active members. Another purpose of this paper is to analyze the potential capacity of this kind of social movement to go beyond the micro and sector levels in their activities, and generate economies of scale in their participation in urban development.

"This is no longer the city I once knew". Evictions, the urban poor and the right to the city in millennial Delhi

Bhan, G. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

Millennial Delhi is changing rapidly. Between 1990 and 2003, 51,461 houses were demolished in Delhi under "slum clearance" schemes. Between 2004 and 2007 alone, however, at least 45,000 homes were demolished, and since the beginning of 2007, eviction notices have been served on at least three other large settlements. Fewer than 25 per cent of the households evicted in this latter time period have received any alternative resettlement sites. These evictions represent a shift not just in degree but also in kind. They were not ordered by the city's planning agency, its municipal bodies or by the city government. Instead, each was the result of a judicial ruling. What has this emergence of the judiciary into urban planning and government meant for the urban poor? This paper analyzes the dictums of verdicts on evictions in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India from 1985 to 2006. Using these judgments, it explores the "misrecognition" of the poor that became dramatically apparent in the early 1990s and that underlies and justifies evictions. This shift is then located in the larger political, economic and aesthetic transformations that are re-configuring the politics of public interest in Indian cities.

From confrontation to collaboration: a decade in the work of the squatters' movement in Nepal

Tanaka, M. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

Squatters' organizations are a notable driving force of civil society movements in Nepal. Their alliance, working on urban squatter issues, has been trying to change their strategy from one of confrontation with government authorities to one of collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including non-squatter neighbours. This paper reviews a decade of squatters' movement in Nepal. It highlights the changes in relationship between squatters and non-squatters and recent moves for public—private—community partnership. The paper argues the importance of getting more attention from non-squatter citizens for policy changes to ensure housing rights.

A participatory governance model for the sustainable development of Cumalikizik, a heritage site in Turkey

Tas, M., Tas, N., Cahantimur, A. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

This paper presents a participatory governance model adopted in Bursa, Turkey, and discusses the challenges and successes experienced to date in applying this model. The principle objectives of The Living Ottoman Village in the Third Millennium — Cumalikizik Collaboration Project are to promote, at national and international level, high standards of quality in the fields of heritage conservation, architecture, urban and rural planning and to advocate for the sustainable development of the urban and rural, built and natural environments, with a participatory approach. The model puts heritage and its benefits in the mainstream of public consciousness and attempts to make heritage a priority for public policies. Our aim is to present the Cumalikizik Collaboration Project, whose objective is to achieve not only the conservation and revitalization of the historical settlement but also the sustainable development of the village. Thus, it can be an important example for similar settlements.

Blaming cities for climate change? An analysis of urban greenhouse gas emissions inventories

Dodman, D. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

Cities are often blamed for high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. However, an analysis of emissions inventories shows that — in most cases — per capita emissions from cities are lower than the average for the countries in which they are located. The paper assesses these patterns of emissions by city and by sector, discusses the implications of different methodological approaches to producing inventories, identifies the main drivers for high levels of greenhouse gas production, and examines the role and potential for cities to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Urban poverty and vulnerability to climate change in Latin America

Hardoy, J., Pandiella, G. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

This paper considers who within the urban population of Latin America is most at risk from the likely impacts of climate change over the next few decades. It also considers how this risk is linked to poverty and to the inadequacies in city and municipal governments. It discusses those who live or work in locations most at risk (including those lacking the needed infrastructure); those who lack knowledge and capacity to adapt; those whose homes and neighbourhoods face the greatest risks when impacts occur; and those who are least able to cope with the impacts (for instance, from injury, death and loss of property and income). Adaptation to climate change cannot eliminate many of the extreme weather risks, so it needs to limit their impacts through good disaster preparedness and post-disaster response. This paper also discusses the measures currently underway that address the vulnerability of urban populations to extreme weather, and how these measures can contribute to building resilience to the impacts of climate change.

International funding to support urban adaptation to climate change

Ayers, J. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

Recent estimates of the costs of adaptation to climate change in low-and middle-income countries are in the range of tens of billions of dollars per annum. The costs of adaptation in cities will account for a significant proportion of this average largely because of the expense required to adapt (or, in the case of many low- and middle-income countries, build new and resilient) infrastructure and services for densely populated areas. This paper discusses existing international funding to support adaptation needs (primarily through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and official development assistance (ODA)), the serious shortfall in these funds, and opportunities for meeting the gap in funding. It pays particular attention to channelling funding to the most vulnerable urban stakeholders, taking into account the political and institutional constraints to the adaptive capacity of these groups.

Getting the information base for Dharavi's redevelopment

Patel, S., Arputham, J., Burra, S., Savchuk, K. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

This is the third in a series of papers chronicling the evolution of negotiations on plans to redevelop Dharavi, Mumbai's vast informal settlement, from the perspective of practitioners supporting Dharavi's residents in their struggle for inclusive development. This paper highlights progress that took place during 2008, including the completion of a baseline survey, constructive engagement with the government and positive amendments to the plan that emerged from this dialogue. The paper also highlights continuing challenges that residents and civil society face in working with the state to ensure that development benefits Dharavi's residents and enterprises.

The slowing of sub-Saharan Africa's urbanization: evidence and implications for urban livelihoods

Potts, D. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

According to data from the most recent inter-census period, some sub-Saharan African countries are now urbanizing very slowly. Actual decreases in the level of urbanization are rare, but have been recorded for Zambia (where counter-urbanization began in the 1980s) and Côte d'Ivoire and Mali (where there is evidence of counter-urbanization during the 1990s). Countries where urbanization levels are stagnating or increasing very slowly, especially when considering large and medium-sized towns, include Benin, Mozambique, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger. The East African situation is more mixed, but growth rates in many large centres are around or below the national rate. For many urban centres there is evidence of increased circular migration, which has reduced the contribution of in-migration to urban growth. These trends are largely the result of declining economic opportunities in many urban areas, reflecting crises in urban poverty and livelihood insecurity.

Book Notes

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

Bulletin Board

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

Summaries of Articles Resumes/Resumenes

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:09:35 PDT

Editorial: The social and political basis for citizen action on urban poverty reduction

Satterthwaite, D. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

Developing new approaches for people-centred development

Arputham, J. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

Jockin Arputham founded the National Slum Dwellers Federation in India and is president of Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI). This paper describes Jockin's life and work and the many different methods he has used to fight eviction and get government support for people-centred development over the last 40 years. This includes the long fight to protect Janata colony in Mumbai from eviction, working with Bangladeshi refugees, and the formation of the federation of slum dwellers, first in Mumbai and then for all of India.

With and beyond the state -- co-production as a route to political influence, power and transformation for grassroots organizations

Mitlin, D. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

This paper reviews the use of co-production — with state and citizens working together — as a grassroots strategy to secure political influence and access resources and services. To date, the literature on social movements has concentrated on more explicitly political strategies used by such movements to contest for power and influence. Co-production, when considered, is viewed as a strategy used by citizens and the state to extend access to basic services with relatively little consideration given to its wider political ramifications. However, co-production is used increasingly by grassroots organizations and federations as part of an explicit political strategy. This paper examines the use of co-productive strategies by citizen groups and social movement organizations to enable individual members and their associations to secure effective relations with state institutions that address both immediate basic needs and enable them to negotiate for greater benefits.

A tale of two wards: political participation and the urban poor in Dhaka city

Banks, N. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

This paper investigates the extent of political participation of the urban poor in Dhaka, identifying the actors with whom the urban poor interact for problem solving and gaining access to services. Through a comparison of the different experiences of "active" and "non-active" poor residents across two wards, the research identifies barriers to effective political participation; it then considers how opportunities for participation can be advanced. The experience of the Coalition for the Urban Poor's (CUP) Basti Basheer Odhikar Surakha Committee (BOSC) illustrates how collective mobilization of the poor has been successful in incorporating the urban poor into municipal governance. However, alongside its successes, the research investigates constraints to such initiatives in terms of securing national commitment to urban poverty reduction.

International assistance for cities in low- and middle-income countries: do we still need it?

Stren, R. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

Based on evidence of a secular decline in urban development assistance on the part of many overseas agencies such as the World Bank and USAID, this article suggests reasons for the decline and considers what can be done to reverse it. Urban assistance (from North to South) is still needed in many countries because it strengthens economic development at all levels of recipient nations and because it engenders networks of decentralized cooperation that promote local development. To be more effective, urban assistance programmes must support local research; they must support South—South networks; they must continue to focus on pro-poor policies; and the agencies that undertake these must act responsibly as the local stakeholders they have in fact become.

Houses without community: problems of community (in)capacity in Cape Town, South Africa

Lemanski, C. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

Literature from the global South has highlighted the role of self-organized "grassroots" groups in championing the rights of the poor, securing specific objectives (e.g. service provision) and strengthening individual and collective capacity. Less attention has been paid to what happens when a poor community is provided with services in the context of weak collective capacity and in the absence of grassroots organization. This case study describes a former informal settlement in Cape Town, where residents were awarded formal housing by the state without a "struggle" and thus without developing the collective drive, capacity or leadership necessary to be full participants in the ensuing process. The paper assesses the community's struggle to assert itself collectively over time, linking their pre-development community diversity to subsequent exclusion from the development process and continuing problems of post-development community consolidation. The implications of becoming beneficiaries without community agreement, involvement, organization or capacity are considered.

Living on the edge: financing post-displacement housing in urban redevelopment projects in Seoul

Bang Shin, H. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

This paper examines the displacement experiences of urban poor tenants in Seoul, South Korea, and the constraints on their financing of post-displacement housing. Since the mid-1980s, urban renewal of slums and dilapidated neighbourhoods in Seoul has been geared towards clearance and wholesale redevelopment. This approach is accompanied by legalization of land tenure for dwelling owners without de jure property rights, and is based on profit-led partnerships between property owners (both on-site dwelling owners and absentee landlords) and developers. Since the end of the 1980s, tenants have been given the option, if eligible, of in-kind compensation (access to a public rental flat) or cash compensation. Neither choice, however, reflects the needs of poor tenants who still find it difficult to finance inevitably increased housing expenditures. Policy measures are necessary to increase the range of options available to tenants upon displacement.

Financing social infrastructure and addressing poverty through wakf endowments: experience from Kenya and Tanzania

Yahya, S. S — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

The East African coast is rich in examples of housing, schools, health centres and other urban facilities that have been financed through endowments known as "wakfs", created by citizens concerned with community well-being and security of next of kin. From its early religious origins, the practice has developed into a durable economic institution capable of enriching and expanding approaches for mobilizing resources for poverty reduction. Places such as Mombasa, Lamu, Malindi and Zanzibar owe much of their public architecture and social harmony to assets set aside in this way. Partial insulation from the market and strict rules ensure that wakf assets are protected from pillage or undue exposure to risk. This paper outlines the development of wakf methodology and administration in Kenya and Tanzania (specifically Zanzibar) since the early twentieth century. In both countries, elaborate legislation and supervisory mechanisms ensure that endowments are registered and subject to audits to ensure compliance with original objectives. In recent years, more emphasis has been placed on reviewing legislation and finding new ways of adapting to current social needs, changing economic circumstances and national social development policies.

Budget sheets and buy-in: financing community-based waste management in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Parizeau, K., Maclaren, V., Chanthy, L. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

This paper details some of the difficulties in financing a community-based waste management (CBWM) project for the collection of waste in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It presents a series of financing scenarios based on several potential logistical arrangements. The financial variables investigated include labour costs and honorariums, collection fees, charges for secondary collection, land and equipment costs, and educational programmes. The case study illustrates how the loss of a political champion and a lack of cooperation by a private waste collection company derailed the financing of a CBWM project despite the presence of other favourable conditions for its success. The waste collection company's participation was fundamental to ensuring the affordability of secondary waste collection, and this one financial element greatly affected the feasibility of the entire system. The paper concludes that without buy-in and financial cooperation from all stakeholders, the best laid plans for CBWM (and the accompanying budget sheets) are rendered irrelevant.

Bridging local institutions and civil society in Latin America: can city-to-city cooperation make a difference?

Bontenbal, M., Van Lindert, P. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

In order to improve the quality of urban governance in cities in the South, it is believed that local institutions and citizens should be brought together more closely. To bridge the gap, there is a need both for citizen participation to have a stronger role in collective decision making and for institutional strengthening, to make local governments more responsive to community needs. This paper explores the role that North—South city-to-city cooperation can play as an instrument for meeting those needs. The outcome of two partnerships between cities in Nicaragua and Peru and their sister cities in the Netherlands is discussed in terms of the resulting support to urban governance. The case studies reveal that while city-to-city cooperation has a particular potential to strengthen local governments, their administrations, service delivery performance and levels of responsiveness, the outcome with regard to encouraging citizenship and citizen participation in urban decision making and development planning has been more modest.

"Negotiated spaces" for representation in Mumbai: ward committees, advanced locality management and the politics of middle-class activism

Baud, I., Nainan, N. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

In Mumbai, new forms of cooperation between local government and citizens seek to improve local representation and the quality of services. This paper examines which residents are represented or excluded in these arrangements, the mandates and processes by which the arrangements are negotiated and the outcomes. Local representation through elected councillors is compared with that through voluntary neighbourhood groups (Advanced Locality Management groups, or ALMs), which work with the executive wing of local government. ALMs, involving middle-class groups, work on environmental, security and upgrading issues. They are expanding their claim to both political and public space, often excluding "unwanted" people. Elected councillors are channels mainly for low-income groups, addressing issues relevant to municipal services but also responding to personal grievances and concerns. Conflict between political representatives and their parties and ALMs is not unusual. Both of these "negotiated spaces" give citizens some way of holding government to account, although middle-class citizens are finding greater scope for action.

Climate change and urban children: impacts and implications for adaptation in low- and middle-income countries

Bartlett, S. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

This paper discusses the particular and disproportionate risks to urban children in poverty from various aspects of climate change, both extreme events and changing means. It explores the potential impacts on children's health, learning and psychosocial well-being, and considers the implications of family coping strategies for children. The paper goes on to discuss the implications for adaptation, making recommendations for an adaptation agenda that focuses on the realities for children. Preparatory measures are considered, as well as responses to extreme events and to changes in weather patterns.

Thinking globally, acting locally -- institutionalizing climate change at the local government level in Durban, South Africa

Roberts, D. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

Durban is unusual among cities worldwide in having a municipal government that has developed a locally rooted climate change adaptation strategy. This paper considers how climate change came to be considered by local government against four institutional markers: the emergence of climate change advocates among local politicians and civil servants; climate change as a significant issue in municipal plans; staff and funds allocated to climate change issues; and a serious consideration of climate change issues within local government decision making. Considerable progress has been achieved on the second and third of these — but less so on the first and fourth. The paper highlights how climate change issues need to be rooted in local realities that centre on avoiding or limiting impacts from, for instance, heat waves, heavy rainfall and storm surges and sea-level rise, and also the ecological changes and water supply constraints brought about by climate change. To date, international agencies have paid little attention to adaptation, as the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation) has been prioritized. This paper also stresses the importance of building local knowledge and capacity about climate change risks and adaptive responses. Without this, decision makers will continue seeing environmental issues as constraints on development rather than as essential underpinnings of and contributors to development.

Cities' contribution to global warming: notes on the allocation of greenhouse gas emissions

Satterthwaite, D. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

This paper suggests that the contribution of cities to global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is often overstated. Many sources suggest that cities are responsible for 75—80 per cent of all such emissions. But as statistics drawn from the IPCC's Fourth Assessment show, this considerably understates the contributions from agriculture and deforestation and from heavy industries, fossil-fuelled power stations and high-consumption households that are not located in cities. It is likely that, worldwide, less than half of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are generated within city boundaries. However, if greenhouse gas emissions from power stations and industries are assigned to the location of the person or institution who consumes them (rather than where they are produced), cities would account for a higher proportion of total emissions. But it would be misleading to attribute this to "cities" in general, since these emissions would be heavily concentrated in cities in high-income nations and they should be ascribed to the individuals and institutions whose consumption generates them, not to the places where they are located.

Towards action on social determinants for health equity in urban settings

Kjellstrom, T., Mercado, S. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

More than half of the global population now live in urban settings. Urbanization can and should be beneficial for health. In general, nations with high life expectancies and low infant mortality rates are those where city governments address the key social determinants of health. Better housing and living conditions, access to safe water and good sanitation, efficient waste management systems, safer working environments and neighbourhoods, food security and access to services such as education, health, welfare, public transportation and child care are examples of social determinants of health that can be addressed through good urban governance. Failure of governance in today's cities has resulted in the growth of informal settlements and slums that constitute unhealthy living and working environments for one billion people. A credible health agenda is one that benefits all people in cities, especially the urban poor who live in informal settlements. International agreements calling for urgent action to reduce poverty, such as the Millennium Development Goals, can only be met through national strategies that include both urban and rural commitments and involve local governments and the poor themselves. Health inequalities in urban areas need to be addressed in countries at all income levels. Urban development and town planning are key to creating supportive social and physical environments for health and health equity. Achieving healthy urbanization in all countries is a shared global responsibility. Eliminating deprived urban living conditions will require resources — aid, loans, private investments — from more affluent countries in the order of US$ 200 billion per year, no more than 20 per cent of the annual increase in GDP in high-income countries. Creating global political support for a sustained and well-funded effort for social, economic and health equity is one of the greatest challenges of this generation.

Post-Jonglei planning in southern Sudan: combining environment with development

Ahmad, A. M. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

In 2008, the Sudanese and Egyptian governments decided to resume work on the Jonglei Canal project, which had been abandoned for 24 years. This project in southern Sudan plans to by-pass, and thus drain, part of the wetlands of the Bahr al-Jabal and Bahr az-Zaraf rivers into the White Nile. While this would increase the Nile waters flowing northwards, it would almost inevitably have negative side-effects on the local, and maybe the regional, environment. The canal's benefits would be shared by Egypt and the Sudan, but with the expected damage falling on southern Sudan. The canal project, launched in 1978, was brought to a halt by rebels in 1984, and the moves to revive it began after the peace agreement of January 2005. This paper argues against the implementation of the project until it is justified by reliable scientific evidence. It outlines the nature of the project, the disputes around its implementation and the advantages and probable hazards of the project. It also argues for regional development in southern Sudan that recognizes the wetlands as a valuable resource and protects the ecosystem.

Book Notes

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

Bulletin Board

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

Summaries of Articles/Resumes/Resumenes

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:01:09 PDT

Editorial: Finance and shelter improvements

Mitlin, D. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:49 PDT

The role of housing finance in addressing the needs of the urban poor: lessons from Central America

Stein, A., Vance, I. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

This paper analyzes three forms of low-income housing finance implemented in Central America: up-front and targeted state subsidies for mortgage finance to access new housing; small, repeated loans for incremental housing improvements; and co-financing methods for the introduction of infrastructure and basic services. It shows that technical assistance for self-help construction, when combined with sound inclusive financial methods, can open new opportunities to make land, shelter and services affordable to different urban poor sub-groups.

The IVDP -- credit to the women of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri

Stavrakakis, S., Mcleod, R., Francis, K. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

This paper tracks the organizational and financial history of the Integrated Village Development Project (IVDP) and the self-help group (SHG) network it supports in Tamil Nadu, India. It describes how the network is connecting and negotiating with a variety of formal sector institutions, paving the way towards aligning the "informal" demands of the peri-urban poor and the "formal" sphere of financial institutions, while releasing women from the clutches of moneylenders. The sheer scale of this collective approach has broken through the financial limits of traditional microfinance approaches, demonstrating to banks that poor people can manage their finances effectively and reliably. Currently, the IVDP—SHG network of 100,500 poor women has saved, accessed and revolved the equivalent of UK£ 89.9 million. The IVDP has further leveraged these financial "formal" and "informal" sources in order to integrate low-income housing and infrastructure finance within its overall credit portfolio. This paper highlights and shares the lessons from the network's experience.

Financial exclusion in Latin America -- or the social costs of not banking the urban poor

Solo, T. M. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

This paper summarizes the findings of research in Bogotá, Colombia and Mexico City on the use of financial services by the urban population. The focus is on the majority of persons who have no relation whatever with a formal bank, cooperative or credit union. The paper identifies the characteristics of those who are "unbanked" and the range of reasons for their exclusion. It also discusses the multiple and considerable costs that this exclusion imposes on the unbanked population, as well as the loss in income that results for formal sector financial institutions. The paper concludes by describing some measures taken to extend financial services to the low-income population, and proposes the importance of linking "financial inclusion" to programmes of urban development and upgrading focused on the poor in developing countries.

Free basic water -- a sustainable instrument for a sustainable future in South Africa

Muller, M. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

The South African government's policy decision in 2001 to provide a basic amount of water free of charge to all citizens has been controversial. Traditional policy advice was that all water should be paid for, even if some costs were subsidized. A review of the implementation of the new policy suggests that the flexible approach adopted ensured wide applicability, although it has been criticized for defects of both exclusion and inclusion. However, it has helped not only to achieve social equity but also has supported the broader objectives of conservation and environmental sustainability. The political legitimacy conferred by the approach has enabled water supply organizations to recover their costs and achieve the economic objective of financial sustainability. South Africa's experience with free basic water thus demonstrates that addressing social and environmental dimensions together with economic dimensions can lead to more effective and sustainable policy.

Incremental construction: a strategy to facilitate access to housing

Greene, M., Rojas, E. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

The "enabling" approach to housing markets promotes financing systems based on family savings, public subsidies and mortgage loans to unleash the potential of individuals and communities to produce and improve dwellings. However, the approach failed to benefit lower-income households, as they have less ability to generate savings or make mortgage payments. These households are forced to use informal mechanisms to access housing, such as purchasing land in illegal sub-divisions or squatting on public land and incrementally building their dwellings. The present work argues that supporting the incremental housing construction undertaken by poor households through an enabling approach can make a significant contribution to solving the housing problem in Latin America. The paper discusses the challenges and opportunities in executing this new type of programme, which requires coordinating the resources and capabilities of the beneficiaries with those of the different levels of government and the civil society. While this paper draws on experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean, the proposed approach is also relevant in other settings.

Financing the sanitation programme of the Orangi Pilot Project--Research and Training Institute in Pakistan

Hasan, A. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

This paper describes the financing mechanisms for the sanitation programme supported by the Orangi Pilot Project's Research and Training Institute (OPP—RTI) in informal settlements in Karachi and other urban centres in Pakistan. These centre on OPP—RTI support for the inhabitants of a lane to plan, implement and finance the "internal components" — sanitary latrines in the houses, underground sewers in the lanes and neighbourhood collector sewers — and support for local governments to finance the larger "external" trunk sewers into which the neighbourhood sewers feed and also treatment plants. The inhabitants have to raise all the funding to cover the costs of the internal components and in around 300 locations in Pakistan, communities have financed, managed and built their own internal sanitation systems. Local governments can also afford to install the external systems as they no longer have to fund the internal components, and as OPP—RTI has helped them develop much lower-cost methods for planning and building trunk sewers.

Mobilizing projects in community organizations with a long-term perspective: neighbourhood credit funds in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Almansi, F., Tammarazio, A. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

This paper describes the development of a credit fund programme in informal settlements in Buenos Aires, Argentina, over a 15-year period from 1993 to 2007. It focuses on the creation, implementation and sustainability of credit funds for housing improvement and how these developed and changed in response to both external factors and programme dynamics. It pays particular attention to the programme's most recent phase, in which the management of the funds was decentralized into separate neighbourhood funds in three communities. It explains how each neighbourhood fund is managed, especially the role of the women who administer them. It also analyzes their respective levels of performance and considers prospects and challenges for the future. The authors conclude that credit fund initiatives based on modest financial resources have the potential not only to catalyze housing improvements but also to strengthen community capacity by delegating project management to the grassroots. In this way, when supported by a partner civil society organization with experience of intervention in the area, such initiatives can be more flexible and more sustainable than top-down interventions. The paper recommends that project funding decisions for microcredit programmes should take account of their potential to build social capacity, strengthen grassroots organizations, engage community participation and complement other local programmes (including improving relations with local government agencies), rather than focus only on financial sustainability.

Microfinance for community development, poverty alleviation and natural resource management in peri-urban Hubli-Dharwad, India

Brook, R. M, Hillyer, K. J, Bhuvaneshwari, G. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

This paper reports on the findings of a study of a microfinance and community mobilization initiative in six villages in the peri-urban zone of Hubli— Dharwad in Karnataka state, southern India, where a number of self-help groups established by two NGOs were studied over a three-year period (2001—2004). Despite deliberate targeting of the poor and very poor sectors, their representation in the self-help groups was found to be no different from their proportions in the populations of the villages. (Targeting of women was more successful, with 64 per cent of members being female.) However, the poor and very poor were more actively involved in microcredit than members of the other wealth classes. Over the life of the project, the poor moved above the state poverty level and their household savings increased by 647 per cent. More than 77 per cent of the funds mobilized through this programme were raised through self-help group subscriptions and a further 14 per cent came from linkages with banks. Findings point to the success of the NGO-mediated self-help group model of community mobilization and microfinance provision relative to other models.

Climate, climate change and human health in Asian cities

Kovats, S., Akhtar, R. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

Climate change will affect the health of urban populations. It represents a range of environmental hazards and will affect populations where the current burden of climate-sensitive disease is high — such as the urban poor in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding the current impact of weather and climate variability on the health of urban populations is the first step towards assessing future impacts. In this paper, we have reviewed the scientific evidence for the effects of temperature, rainfall and extreme events on human health, in particular the impacts of heat waves and floods. The methods for assessing the risks of climate change are undergoing development, and there is a need to shift the focus from global and regional to local studies. Sectoral approaches to climate change impact assessments often ignore the effects on health. There is a need to better describe the risks to health from extreme weather events as well as improve the effectiveness of public health interventions. Improving the resilience of cities to climate change also requires improvements in the urban infrastructure, but such improvements may not be achieved quickly enough to avoid an increased burden of disease due to global climate change.

Winners and losers from the 2001 Gujarat earthquake

Sanderson, D., Sharma, A. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

This paper⁽¹⁾ looks at some of the winners and losers in the reconstruction efforts following the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat. It reviews some of the consequences of different approaches to reconstruction and these are illustrated by the experiences of three villages. It ends with a discussion of the lessons that are repeatedly ignored after disaster.

Unjust waters: climate change, flooding and the urban poor in Africa

Douglas, I., Alam, K., Maghenda, M., Mcdonnell, Y., Mclean, L., Campbell, J. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

Many of the urban poor in Africa face growing problems of severe flooding. Increased storm frequency and intensity related to climate change are exacerbated by such local factors as the growing occupation of floodplains, increased runoff from hard surfaces, inadequate waste management and silted-up drainage. One can distinguish four types of flooding in urban areas: localized flooding due to inadequate drainage; flooding from small streams within the built-up area; flooding from major rivers; and coastal flooding. ActionAid undertook participatory vulnerability analysis in five African cities, to explore local people's perceptions of why floods occur, how they adjust to them, who is responsible for reducing the flood risk and what action the community itself can take. While local people adapt to floods, recognition of local, national and international governments' and organizations' responsibility to act to alleviate flooding and its causes, especially the consequences of climate change, is urgently needed.

Climate change risk: an adaptation and mitigation agenda for Indian cities

Revi, A. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

This paper considers the needed adaptation and mitigation agenda for cities in India — where the urban population is likely to grow by around 500 million over the next 50 years. It considers the likely changes that climate change will bring in temperature, precipitation and extreme rainfall, drought, river and inland flooding, storms/storm surges/coastal flooding, sea-level rise and environmental health risks, and who within urban populations are most at risk. It notes the importance for urban areas of an effective rural adaptation agenda — especially in maintaining the productivity and functioning of rural systems. It highlights the importance of today's infrastructure investments, taking into account climate changes, given the long lifespan of most infrastructure, and the importance of urban management engaging with changing risk profiles. One important part of this is the need to connect official adaptation initiatives to the much-improved natural hazard risk assessment, management and mitigation capacity that responded to major disasters. The paper ends by describing a possible urban climate change adaptation framework, including changes needed at the national, state, city and neighbourhood levels, and linkages to mitigation.

Climate change and coastal cities: the case of Mombasa, Kenya

Cynthia Brenda Awuor, , Victor Ayo Orindi, , Ochieng Adwera, A. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

This paper discusses the risks that the city of Mombasa faces from the direct and indirect impacts of climate change. Mombasa is Kenya's second largest city and has more than 700,000 inhabitants. It is the largest seaport in East Africa, serving not only Kenya but also many landlocked countries and the north of Tanzania. The city has a history of disasters related to climate extremes including floods, which cause serious damage nearly every year and, often, loss of life. The floods in October 2006 were particularly serious, affecting some 60,000 people in the city and the wider province. In addition, around 17 per cent of Mombasa's area could be submerged by a sea-level rise of 0.3 metres, with a larger area rendered uninhabitable or unusable for agriculture because of water logging and salt stress. Tourism is an important part of the city's economy. Thus, sandy beaches, historic and cultural monuments and several hotels, industries and port facilities would be negatively affected. This paper also discusses the measures needed to reduce the vulnerability of Mombasa's population and economic base to climate change.

Plans for Dharavi: negotiating a reconciliation between a state-driven market redevelopment and residents' aspirations

Patel, S., Arputham, J. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

This paper describes and discusses the changes in the government's plans to redevelop Dharavi in Mumbai in response to pressure and protest by Dharavi residents, grassroots organizations and a local group of eminent citizens (Concerned Citizens for Dharavi), and as a result of international pressure.

Cash transfers to tackle childhood poverty and vulnerability: an analysis of Peru's Juntos programme

Jones, N., Vargas, R., Villar, E. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

Social programmes in Peru have been plagued historically by a culture of dependency, clientelism and corruption. Juntos, a conditional cash transfer programme targeting children under the age of 14, was initiated in 2005 to provide a new model for social protection provision and tackle the country's widespread childhood poverty. Its design largely follows that of counterpart Latin American programmes and seeks to address the risks to children's future human capital development that stem from inadequate access to basic services and various forms of social exclusion. An innovative dimension of Juntos is its explicit focus on populations most affected by the country's political violence during the 1980s and 1990s. Drawing on document analysis and qualitative field research, this independent assessment considers the impacts of the programme on childhood poverty, the strengths and weaknesses of a conditional approach, and changes in intra-household and community dynamics as well as state—citizen relations. It concludes by discussing policy challenges and directions for future research.

Book Review: Cities of the Future: Towards Integrated Sustainable Water and Landscape Management: Vladimir Novotny and Paul Brown (editors), International WaterAssociation, IWAPublishing, 2007, 352 pages, ISBN: 1843391368.

Mulenga, M. — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

Book Notes

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

Bulletin Board

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT

Summaries of Articles: Resumes/Resumenes

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:50 PDT