Households strategies in mitigating environmental risks in informal settlements : the case of Lacey Road, Sydenham in Durban.
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Date
2010
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Abstract
This study is concerned with the manner in which households create strategies to mitigate
environmental risks in informal settlements for example Lacey Road which is located in Sydenham in
the eThekwini metropolitan area of KwaZulu‐Natal. Informal settlements result from migration and
urbanisation trends whereby people from rural areas migrate to the city in search of job
opportunities and a better life. Many fail to find the formal employment opportunities they seek and
find themselves having to provide their own shelter. These circumstances culminate in the
construction of informal settlements in and near the city. People settle on land that is often
undesirable for development because of geological or environmental pressures e.g. it has unstable
soils, the land is located within flood plains or on very steep slopes.
The vulnerability approach and political ecology framework underpin this study. These two
approaches have been used in order to understand the capabilities of informal settlers to cope with
risks they are faced with. They have been also used to understand how human activities and political
systems may be linked to the spread of environmental degradation and risks. Household survey and
key informants interviews were used to conduct this study.
The findings of the research show that Lacey Road informal settlement is exposed to various risks
such as floods, fire, waste disposal, and indoor air pollution and other health risks. It is clear that residents from Lacey Road are regularly exposed to the harsh realities of spatial and environmental
marginalisation. The main reason for their vulnerability is the lack of service delivery by the
municipality. This is due to a unique set of power relations where the community does not have
profile to force the municipality to provide access to basic services.
It is within this context that the researcher sought to analyse and explore the interface between
environmental risk management and coping strategies of residents within informal settlements.
Whilst there are general risks that face all residents of informal settlements, the researcher also
considered what is specific to the Lacey Road settlement in Sydenham. The intention of this research
is to identify environmental risks being experienced in Lacey Road informal settlements. Furthermore,
to understand household strategies employed to mitigate those environmental risks at Lacey Road.
Description
Thesis (M.Sc.U.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.
Keywords
Dwellings--KwaZulu-Natal--Durban--Safety measures., Building sites--Risk assessment--KwaZulu-Natal--Durban., Squatter settlements--KwaZulu-Natal--Durban., Theses--Architecture.