Role of Infrastructure in Urban Slum Transformation

Introduction:

The rapid urbanization and the high rate of population growth and influx into urban slum areas, results to overutilization of the available limited natural resources. Rural-urban migration is a major cause of population growth in urban areas. The urban populations in the developing world grew at a 3.35 percent rate annually between 1975 and 2007, the development rate of the rustic populace stayed steady at around one percent. As a consequence of this trend, in 2007 the world’s the world’s urban populace surpassed the rustic populace (United Nations, 2008). A big section of the urban population in Kenya today are jobless or earn much less than they can spend, causing a rise in poverty levels. Some of these people end up in makeshift settlements in public or private undeveloped urban land. In context to physical planning, space [land resource] can be referred to as the major over utilized resource in most urban areas.

The urban population thus tends to encroach into the surrounding land use zones [urban sprawl] or squeeze into the available limited urban space. The result to the latter is formation of slums. Community facilities, (like health and education facilities) and utilities (such as water, energy, transportation, or telecommunications) are also over utilized in the case of slum areas. This paper seeks to expound on over exploitation of infrastructure in slums and some workable recommendations to help improve the livability and sustainability of the slums. Infrastructure provision and improvement will help create opportunities and highlights on the potentials of the area of study to achieve sustainable development. For instance, improvement of accessibility, water, waste management and electricity can generally improve the livelihoods of slum residents as well as economic growth and environmental conservation.

Background to the problem:

Rapid urbanization and physical growth of towns are major development planning issues in developing countries, e.g. Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya. Urbanization in the country is accelerated by natural population growth, rural urban migration and boundary extension and expansion. Overdependence on agriculture and poor performance of rural development is making small trading centers to urbanize faster due to reliance on urban-based activities for their livelihoods leading to demands in more urban basic and infrastructure services. The development has been experienced in the major urban focuses in Kenya including Nairobi, Mombasa, Thika, Nyeri, and Nakuru among others.

Slum upgrading:

Slum upgrading comprises of physical, social, financial, hierarchical and natural upgrades to slums attempted agreeably and locally among citizens, group gatherings, organizations and local authorities. Legalizing and regularizing the properties in situations of insecure or unclear tenure is also fundamental. The main objective of slum upgrading is to alleviate the poor living standards of slum dwellers, by enabling accessibility to a healthy and secure living environment without being displaced. Many slums lack basic local authority services such as provision of safe drinking water, sanitation, wastewater and solid waste management.

Population Growth and Rapid Urbanization:

The existence and/or formation of slums are neither an inevitable consequence of population growth nor an inevitable result of rapid urbanization. One is to recognize that urbanization and further population growth is going to happen. urbanization is necessary for the wealth generation and economy of most nations. However, the benefits do not come suddenly; they need well-designed public policies that can lead to healthy economies, and ensure equitable distribution of resources. When public policies benefits only political or economic elites, urbanization will almost inevitably result in instability, as cities become unlivable for rich and poor alike.

Objectives of slum upgrading:

The general goal of slum upgrading is to improve the living conditions of slum residents living in the depressed physical conditions in urban areas on a sustainable basis and to prevent future slum growth. Some of the specific objectives of slum upgrading include;

• To develop affordable and participatory measures for upgrading housing conditions and related support infrastructure in slum areas.
• To plan and implement in collaboration with stakeholder programs and pilot projects to minimize, eliminate and curtail the growth of slums.
• To harness central government’s and urban authority (ties)’s resources in enhancing the contribution of slums to the urban economy.
• To ensure an appropriate institutional framework and mechanisms for effective implementation of slum upgrading programs by different stakeholders.

Benefits of slum upgrading:

Physical or environmental benefits:

It addresses overall issues by containing environmental degradation, improving sanitation, lowering violence and attracting investment.

Sociocultural benefits:

It promotes inclusion by enabling the relevant authority to address serious issues like illegality, exclusion, inadequacy of public services, credit services, productive land, insecurity and social protection of vulnerable populations like women, children and the aged.

Economic benefits:

It promotes economic development by releasing the vast untapped resources of slum dwellers {e.g. Labor, land, innovative ideas} that have skills and a huge desire to be a more productive part of the economy, but are held back by their status and marginality.

Conclusion:

Inadequacy of infrastructure is a major development shortcoming in Majengo, as well as other slums and informal settlements in Mtwapa and Kenya at large. It is characterized by lack of street lighting, sewage and drainage systems, poor accessibility and circulation as well as inadequate electricity. The existing infrastructure is faced with vandalism due to high rate of insecurity as well as the strain to support the ever-growing population.

Also Read: A New Approach to Estimate the Adequate Housing Deficit within and Across Emerging Economies