Integrating local, indigenous knowledge and geographical information system in mapping flood vulnerability at Quarry Road West informal settlement in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal = Ukuhlanganiswa kolwazi lwendabuko nohlelo lolwazi ngezezwe ukwakha ibalazwe labasengozini ngezikhukhula emgwaqweni owumgubane endaweni yemikhukhu eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natali.

Abstract

Reducing flood vulnerability is crucial in reducing flood impacts, and mapping flood vulnerability is one of the most useful options for reducing flood vulnerability. This is because it helps locate where the vulnerable households or areas are, which in turn, supports policy and strategic interventions. However, the complex nature of flood vulnerability, especially in Mutanga, Onisimo.Mutanga, Onisimo. requires holistic consideration of the dweller’s experiential, contextual, and situational knowledge in mapping flood vulnerability. This study sought to establish a methodological approach for integrating Local, Indigenous Knowledge and Geographical Information System to map flood vulnerability in Quarry Road West informal settlement in Durban, South Africa. A convergent parallel mixed methods approach which involved a digital household survey (n=359), interviews with key informants (n=10), focus group discussions (n=2) and a global positioning system was used in the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data while thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. The findings reveal that using Local and Indigenous Knowledge that community members possess, generated context-specific indicators for mapping flood vulnerability in Quarry Road West informal settlement. The findings also reveal that the proximity of houses to the Palmiet River and the main roads, the nature of the soil and the type of materials people were using to build their houses hugely contributed to the vulnerability of people to flooding in the study area. The study further showed that flood vulnerability in the study area was a result of socio-economic, physical and institutional challenges. Using the Analytical Network Process helped to foster community participation and comprehensively integrated Local and Indigenous Knowledge with Geographical Information System in mapping flood vulnerability in Quarry Road West informal settlement. Flood vulnerability in the informal settlement exhibited spatial differentiations. Households along the Palmiet River were highly vulnerable to flooding and a section of the settlement called Mcondo 1 was highly vulnerable to flooding while maMsuthu had low flood vulnerability. The study concludes that using community members’ Local and Indigenous Knowledge to select indicators was crucial for mapping flood vulnerability in an informal settlement, as it provided a more nuanced understanding of flood vulnerability. The methodological approach presented in this study can help decision-makers and other stakeholders to have sight of sustainable solutions and context-specific strategies that could be employed to increase the resilience of people at local levels to flooding.

IQOQA Ukunciphisa ubungozi nesisindo sezikhukhula kubalulekile futhi nokwenza ibalazwe mayelana nobungozi bezikhukhula yinto ngempela esizayo ukunciphisa ubungozi bezikhukhula. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi kuyasiza ukuthola izindawo ezisengozini, okuwukuthi kusekela inqubomgomo kanye neqhinga lokungenelela. Yize kunjalo, inkinga enkulu mayelana nobungozi bezikhukhula, ikakhulukazi endaweni yemijondolo kufuneka ukucabanga nxazonke mayelana nabahlali asebesazi isimo kanye nolwazi ekudwebeni ibalazwe mayelana nobungozi bezikhukhula.

Lesi sifundo sasiphokophelele ukusebenzisa ulwazi lwamalungu omphakathi kanye nolwendabuko ukukhetha izinkomba kwabaluleka kakhulu ekwakhiweni kwebalazwe mayelana nobungozi bezikhukhula endaweni yemijondolo, njengoba inikeza okuningi ukuqonda ngobungozi bezikhukhula. Izindlela zohlelo lokwenza ezethulwe kulesi sifundo zingasiza kulabo abathatha izinqumo kanye nabanye ababamba iqhaza ukuba babe nehlo ekutheni kube nezisombululo eziqinile kanye namaqhinga aqonde ngqo ngokwendawosimo angasetshenziswa ukwandisa ukuzithemba nofuqufuqu kubantu ngokwamazinga endawo mayelana nezikhukhula.

Okutholakele futhi kuveza ukuthi ukusondelana kwezindlu ngasemfuleni uPalmiet kanye nomgwaqo omkhulu, isimo senhlabathi kanye nezinto abantu abazisebenzisayo ukwakha izindlu zabo kwaba nomthelela ekubekeni izimpilo zabantu ebungozini bezikhukhula endaweni. Okufundwayo kwaqhubeka kwaveza ukuthi ubungozi bezikhukhula endaweni efundwayo kwaba imiphumela yesimo sezomnotho kanye nezinselelo zesimo sezakhiwo. Ukusebenzisa uhlaziyo lokuxhumana kusizile ukukhuthaza umphakathi ukuthi ubambe iqhaza kanye nokuhlanganisa okuphelele okwendawo kanye nolwazi lwendabuko nohlelo lolwazi ngezezwe ekwakheni ibalazwe ngobungozi bezikhukhula emgwaqweni uQuarry otholakala eNtshonalanga yendawo yemijondolo.

Ubungozi bezikhukhula endaweni yemijondolo kuveza umehluko mayelana nokuhlelwa kwezindawo zokuhlala. Izakhamuzi eduzana nomfula iPalmeit zabasengozini kakhulu ngezikhathi zezikhukhula nanokuthi enye ingxenye yendawo ebizwa ngoMcondo 1 nayo yaba sengozini kakhulu ngezikhathi zezikhukhula, kanti kwamaMsuthu izinga lobungozi lezikhukhula laliphansi.