Issues for people living in squatter settlements

in poorer parts of the

world (continued)References

AQA A 206 – 209

CGP pg 89

B&P pg 164

Syllabus

Key idea• Rapid urbanisation has led to the

development of squatter settlements and an informal sector to the economy

Specification content• Attempts by the inhabitants themselves to

improve squatter settlements.• Self Help, Site and Service and Local

Authority schemes to improve squatter settlements

Lesson Objectives• All will understand

what strategies have been introduced to improve living conditions in these areas.

• Some will be able to evaluate the success of these strategies.

Key TermsSelf Help• Sometimes known as assisted self help (ASH), this is where local

authorities help the squatter settlement residents to improve their homes by offering finance in the form of loans or grants and often installing water, sanitation, etc.

Site and Service• Occur where land is divided into individual plots and water,

sanitation, electricity and basic track layout are supplied before any building by residents begins.

Why do people live in squatter settlements?

People live in squatter settlements due to the speed of the process of urbanisation in poorer areas of the world. The pace of rural – urban migration is too fast to allow the time needed to build proper houses and for the economy to grow to provide jobs.

People find unoccupied areas of

land and materials and begin to build their own makeshift shelters. As there are few jobs available, people create their own employment in the informal sector: selling items; making and repairing things on a small scale; becoming couriers, cleaners, gardeners; taking in laundry.

Strategies to improve living conditions

• Watch the following clip and think about what strategies are being used to improve the lives of those living in squatter settlements.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/shanty-town-growth-and-development-in-south-africa/1483.html

Strategies to improve living conditions

1. Individual actionResidents slowly acquire the money and materials to do up their original shelters. They replace flimsy, temporary materials with more permanent brick and concrete; catching rainwater in a tank on the roof; and obtaining an electricity supply (often illegally by tapping into a nearby source)

Strategies to improve living conditions

2. Self Help SchemesThis occurs when local authorities support the residents of squatter settlements in improving their homes. Improvements are the same as in strategy 1 but it is more organised. There is cooperation between residents to work together and remove rubbish.

The local authority also helps by offering grants, cheap loans and possibly materials to encourage improvements to take place. Standpipes are likely to by provided for access to water supply and sanitation.

Collectively, the residents, with the help of the local authority, may begin to build health centres and schools. Legal ownership of the land is granted to encourage improvements to take place, marking an acceptance of the housing. A newly installed standpipe in Kibera

shanty town in Nairobi, Kenya

Strategies to improve living conditions

3. Site and ServiceThese schemes are a more formal way of helping squatter settlement residents.

Land is identified for the scheme. The infrastructure is laid in advance of settlement, so that water, sanitation and electricity are properly supplied to individually marked plots.

People then build their homes using whatever materials they can afford at the time. They can add to the structure if finances allow later.

A site and service scheme outside La Paz in Bolivia

Strategies to improve living conditions

4. Other Local Authority SchemesThe local authorities of cities in poorer areas all over the world run different schemes to help the inhabitants of shanty towns. There may be large scale improvements made to some squatter settlements or new towns may be constructed.

In Cairo, new settlements such as 10th of Ramadan City were built, together with shops, a primary school and a mosque. Industries were also planned to provide jobs for new inhabitants.

Local Authority funded construction in 10th of Ramadan City, Cairo

My Preferred Solution

Which of the 4 strategies do you think is the best? Give full justification for your answer. You should stress its advantages and the disadvantages of the other two.

Lesson Objectives• All will understand

what strategies have been introduced to improve living conditions in these areas.

• Some will be able to evaluate the success of these strategies.