~utnie~t lnsrdr the Yafflufla ~waemt.ankmE,1tS - frk~rPQ bS~tljflflu9JfiQQOn~
Landuse Planning and Urban Risk Reduction
Abstract
Man LI Gupta
Anshu Shanna
SEEDS
f’revadin~ urban planmng practices follow the traOidona~ tecMng~uEs of ianö use zoning classifying clrsacter - p/one ~rea ~s unswtaole for devrloomenr ~nvertably, Pro wcvcr it as predse!ly aiOng wch tract-s of zbtP&d ~ahd that ~nfc3flflal setflemerws rnCrsjWCN~m. ~r,flalyitanfl on tnese settlements are (he fl?osr wM7erable secUons bf urban societies- poor wIcn no land ri~inrs, maneuverea oy local oehrloans wftn no ae~naarxe source at income, nvinq in remporary sna ~inwFe struct+wts with lime or no fadrkt~es for san~t Won. øflr,king water, electnc:tv ana soFia waste ~sposal. ~ven a lwnrct ci low ~ntens1w strains thsacrrous propcw-Uons when it s-tflkes comrnurt:tles 1rv~ng ‘a wch asky conditofls Th~S scenario typrf ies tile hrm ratio ~of con yen tional prannlngtechrilqu~tO corral disasters in urban corn mtinitles. esp€UaYv fri develop raw nations. Yf us paper proposes an alremarwe nleans of acrC~’essJng tnis problem of maraglrw urban land prone to disasters through a IWOce&S enCOI7IpaSSIIW dfffererw scales a multitude oi atUvlties arK! invpiv~r~Q mnarw concernec1ag~nci~tt The aLtr here is toewrNve anenthfl’g and hoftsPrcievelopment mechanism tor in r~rma~ certaetTPenfl
not onW physical demlopmenr but also related rn snclar and
~n disaster prone lands. l’woMni) upgraaauon pSTainlflg ecw)OCUC development
Disasters In Urban Areas:
what makes Informs settlements especially
vulner~le7
K Ilost prominent anion~sc the dLS-atters stnkiii5 th’ban lvi Settlements treCp~e1itiy are those OF tioo~s and fire.
wrth lower pncpclenCes of earthquakes, Landslides and tvclone& of tnese, floods are mOre devastating clue to
their wrdesp-react ana perIodic el-feet. flfes nave more
iCicalEced effects bt-rt ate ~very trequeit {n urban areas
!eadlflQ to heavy losses Cf life and property Eaftflquakes do not OCCUT often, but when they do, they wreak havoc.
often completely amaging infrastructure lifelines.
1~
studies ~nthcate that the locs ot Irfe aric property GLiS to FJOOCIS has been 1ricreasirt~ over the nast decades. The prime reason fat !M is unisLannea urban growth on the banks or the riven and in other lOw~lyiflQ areas In the vlclnlty
Informal sernements represent a vast human popu4ation Is irvitw in temporary aril unsafe Structures with irttie or no facilities tar sanltatron~ drii*Fng water! electricity and %L1J waste disposal. Densities in such settlements often eKceed 2500 persons per hectare. Areas with such flLgti PODtflUCn concentrations face greater risk of damage to fife and property in the event of disasters
Even a hazard Of low Intensity attains aisastrous nr000rtions wnen It strikes communities ~]viflQ in SUCh risky conditiw-is. becduse of theIr limIted capacity to withstand Cilsastets. For ex~np~e, the annual rise i~ the level Of me flve( Yamuna In Delhi. India ~c cased py the release of water froni sortie reservoirs upstream, it causes the rlviir to flood Its banks to a certain degre~ Thi population }hiinç in tM ~pIanned areas- of tre aty hardly
ever notices the Change, but for the corrirnunlty Iit’rng In ~e rivertied, effi-y such instance mears they have to shift temporarily, bag and baggage, to another location anc only hope arid pray their home stuE stands when the water recedes. When they do return to their homes, they 1-~ave
totattle With epidemics ot water-bornedlsease& Recovecy
from this annuai rituaL takes a tono time ri ~e ansence of economic rn~ans, community sup~orL srrticti~res ana facilitIes that aid reccpvery,
ConvetitlOiii Planning Tools and the Real Picture
me conventional City Master PLan rs patterneb on the foFlowing fleTnes:
t bemoqraQhlc projection and decision on the levels at
which the population will be Contained;
2. AIFoc.atton of population to various 2ones depending
on existing density leveL infrastructure capacity and
future density ieveis,
~ LWU”Uw toning to achieve the desired allocation of populatIon ana activities In vanous wnes as proIettea~
and
4 I,arge-scEiIe acquisitIon Of land WLth a view to ensuF’~n~ planned development.
Tne reasons why most Pta-ns to reduce risk fall may t~ attributed to three main issues;
t The conslaerable investments reQuired for pitteetcon worKs; uSuairy out Of reacn of most locaF Covernnients, or low âown in their prIorIties
2. Mbnltorhnglreoulatlon systems to check processes Of land occupation, it is much easter to prevent than to cur~
S. Effective IniplementatIon~ ~II the paraDnernalia of plans. investments, legislation etc. can come nothing not Implemented.
me poor and unemployed from tne njrai ninterianc, attracted by the economic opportunities cities offer, arrp¼v~ In large num Den and sQuat Wccupy illegallyl on any avaflable piece Of lana They live in temnporaflt structures Often made Of materials discarded fly the better-off section oF rrie cEws popuratiorn in sucn a scenario, lands designated as vacant For hjture expansion or as environ mentally SensitIve zones under the Master Than become soft t~get
Resides being the cause for ‘unplanned growth of oty~, such settlements reflect poor physEcal. socJa! and economic characteristics,
sInce squatters do not own the land they live on, they nave little or no incentive to make improvements in the dwelling structures on land that might be taken from them any time. Physical structures are temporary in nature made with cheap building material that offers little or no protection against disasters. As it is, housing in most nformal settlements consists of temporary structures that are damaged easily; they collapse or washout during heavy rains, floods and earthquakes, burn in fires, etc Many a time these settlements also have additional incompatible uses, as they accommodate storehouses of materials for recycling / refuse, and at times, chemicals. in case of fires in these settlements, ‘t truly becomes a case of throwing the fat into the fire’ as these aid the rapid spread of fire.
As it is. many are migrants, poor and unemployed, with no permanent source of income. Frequent disasters in their area disrupt their livelihoods.
me neterogeneity of their etnnic bacKground coupled with competition for limited economic opportunities are a cause for social tensions Coherent social structures are seldom found to be in place, leading to easy manipulation by local politicians seeking to establish ‘vote banks’. These are also the areas that have the iowest literacy ieveis in any city and where family sizes are the highest. These two factors invariably translate into poor awareness levels, haphazard development, and unsanitary living conditions, all adding up to a recipe for disaster.
The genesis and the ensuing germination of the Informal settlements thus completely defy the original themes under which the city master plans were set. Obviousiy, the objectives of the conventional planning system were completely detached from the socio-economlc realities the informal sectors represent
The Approach: Planning for the Vulnerable
Policies and programmes commonly adopted for planned urban development have not really benefited the economically underprivileged; thus they have resortea to ootions such as ooouiar settlements beyond the oerlpherv of official action plan areas, settlements In hazardous or unsafe locations, settlements on Government land, etc. In most cases, when viewed against the statutory norms for buliding and land development activities in urban areas, they are considered illegal.
Those who can afford it, stay away from ravines, flood plains, municipal drains and similar hazard-prone areas. They can afford to give safety from natural dIsasters a high priority and live in the cocoon of landuse and zoning regulations, building codes etc. But these standart measures are effective only if they are enforced strictly; when the land is illegally occupied las in the case Of most informal settlements), enforcement and regulation become uphill tasks. The local governments fear that extending services such as water supply and electricity to informai settlements mignt oe construec as a sign of tacit approval or approbation, encouraging such settlements even more It is then not to be wondered that planning measures, as we understand them, have had such limited success in reducing the vulnerability of Informal settlements.
However, there is another dimension to the Issue of reducing vulnerability in urban informal settlements. Being part of the urban poor, they also have to face the reality that conventional solutions for urban disaster mitigation in deveioped countries or even among the economically well-off sections of their cities are neither easily accessible to them, nor can they afford it
The challenge facing urban planning today Is that increasingly large numbers lead a precarious existence in
informal settlements and yet authorities are unable to control anc guide them. certain issues need to oe addressed before we move towards an alternative and viable solution to this issue: first, are informal settlements indeed a liability for cities and hence undesirable? Do they actually help the economically weaker sections to sustain themselves and over time consolIdate their means of lIving in the city7 Is it not possible to control and guide such processes in a manner that ensures a minimai quality of IWing environment in them?
A detailed deliberation of the first two questions is beyond the scope of this paper, but tne answer to the iast is positive. The authors would like to suggest, how.
Strategy for Action
Improvement in Quality of life
Reducing vulnerability at the level of the city:
Recognizing informal settlements in landuse planning
Experiences all over the world have indicated that any sustainable, effective redress to the issue of reducing vulnerabiiity in urban iriformai settlements has to understand and incorporate informal settlements as an integral part of the urban landscape. The Interventions and policies required will definitely have to encompass several scales and activities un both time and space1). One of the approaches is to aim towards an overall improvement in the quality of life, with improvement in not only the physical environment, but also social and economic development and upllftment. This is usuaiiy achieved by providing a variety of services at low cost, at locations with high demand for these services.
‘The “Slum Networking’ concept adopted a similar holistic approach in community-based sanitation and environmental Improvement Programmes In slums in various cities in India and in which wisely made landuse planning decisions could provide for improved quality of life in the city’s overall environment. The city-level process involved upgradation of the entire city using slums as an urban net, and exploiting the inter•linkages between slums and the city fabrics. Taking advantage of the ciose correlation between location of slums and the natural water paths, the functional and aesthetic potentials of the natural drainage system were realised with the instailation of low cost service trunks. This in turn paved the way for extensive environment improvements such as cleaning of rivers, restoration of water front bodies, development of green pedestrian spines etc. concepts such as topography management, earth regradation, and constructive landscaping were introduced, and involved Intense participation of the public. Individual services were offered to families at low costs, which also lead to the maintenance burden being shifted from the iocal government to inoiviouai families.’ iParikn, 1996
Reducing vulnerability at the level of the settlements within a city’ Monitoring local landuse changes
Another process aiming at mitigation, La reducing vulnerability of existing settlements through participatory approaches in risk reduction and monitoring is currently being tested at Ahmedabad and Delhi in India. The core issue addressed here is that of reducing vulnerability through poverty alleviation The poor are vulnerable since they lack means to withstand disasters, but disasters in turn disrupt their livelihoods, furtner Increasing their vulnerability The attempt here is to break this vicious cycle by a series of ‘Action plans’ consisting of tasks that the community can perform Itself in order to
com,wrurv AC~IOfl P)annjng Wonsnop in orogress Prevention pays
reduce ~rulnerab1llty In their particularsectiement, be
it a slum ~r sauattec The net restJlt Is art i~pgrariation
nf rhese sewemet’its. both physical anci soc~I.
The ~eth.eCIng urban Risk project ueing carried out in NEW Delhi and Artmedadad nas fllgflll~hteC tne problems Faced by the ciweilers Of isk~prone umilan areas and me multitude of complex parameters involved in finding a sustainable solution LQ their
problems it has aiso revealed to a great degree tne inadeuuacy Of traditional platinin~ teciiniaues tn both precdEntiny and contain inçj the stale Of this ttSue Thraugt~ a series or participatory rrsk appraisal and acticm planning e)(ercises, significant resuLts nave been acrneveC wherein land In the nelgflbourhoc-O Is out to use LtI]t beri~f its the community and contributes ifl reducing risks at local level Th~ process has also prOvit~en for better iocai monitoring of corn ~aC~ble ai~d non.comnpatltile land use actIvities The approach ins been tD modify tile Comnmunltvs current behawotnl pattern in times of emergencies Lnstead
01 expecting the Oovenlmeflt to find au solucioni, the
community itself i~ adopting a more iirO.actlve approach,
in tandem with measures that aim at recluctrig vulnerabIlity c,t Informal settlements exist irtQ in riSky conditions, effort has to be directed t~ prevent musflrootnFng OF new settlements in en vi ronrrieritally sensitive lands through putting available land to suitable alternate Use Land left as vacant, t~ni~evelopecr~ or not fit fot develooment Is the first to attract the attention of wØuld-be snuatters ThQ pressures OF 502CC in this worLd Of apw urbartrs.aclDn makes it tempting to i~5C land that tmgnt one cia~ be 1FoC~ed, or face landsllaesleartnquake/cycrones. P-lowever, oy oesignating a use that will suffer mrrilrnar damage in ~ti~ event ola natu~aj disaster. f~r ~arnpie, tecreatiorial use.
• Link land use planning to sOCiO•&Onamic realities
AS in the c~e Of Delhi, most Master Plans aifli to orovtde an €nvtronment conaLlcJve to Iead~ng a sate ELfe” and to bring aDout an Imorovement in tne lualIty of life of the residents Tile lini between rhese objectRees needs to be screngttiened, one way would be to intnrporat~ ‘saf~ living as a precursor to a!F strategii~s aimed at improving quality of life This cart be brought about by a realisation mat solutiolis invoiue nltrFt[• sactoral and rnufti~]evel issues mire phyiicai ceveiopnient’ Which is the domain Of landuse planning is affected by a range of economic, demographic and social issues that are orten nor taken into ~r.cCUJnt in ~Un prep2iratron. It holds true the Other way round as
well: for example. the process of economic poJicy formulation has to tike (nto account the Spatial ramihcattons of a policy under cons~cieratiOn If vulnerability arises out OF location, then it neips to realise that economics more often thfl not dezermlrre5 location
Conclusion
In our riDes the inlorcnal settternents Form a substantial proportIon & the urban population, wflhle wnventonai planning tooLs continue to ignore their presence ~us encouraging greater proliferation The effect is on the overall envEronment of me ctty as they increasingly race risks of hazards both naturai and man macie
Experience reveaLs that me currentstrendscan potentially uc reversed prcvt~Ied a conscious strategy 15 adopted wnerern informal settlements are incorporated as an essential component of the uroan fabric Landuse decisrons at Locai level need to recognize their presence ano ePFcIt theft part irir Then in monttorin~ Further prolEferation may be cii bed thro ugh putting land to alternate uses that are unaffected by disasters
The overall goal Of the tar icepann~n~ prncess In urban areas should *e the reduction of socio-ec*twmic rnegthties rn tire population and provide for healthy and safe livmg in doing so. as suggested herein, a more proactive approach needs to me acloriteci wn~crl irtcorooi’ates tne asoirations of a majority ot the cstys corn mun~t~es without compromisIng on tile main Functron of cities as engines of natIonal economy
References
1 199fl, MeeOng the chalie’rige c~F ~rCgfl disasters. World ~Sa~E& Report 199B, fnternatinal Federation of ffie Red Cross and Red crescent- s r’et~es, p 9-19
2, An5;ri, J Ft 49~7, Call iaitavs~ Planning Help, TF~’ muffler, vol 1~, N~ 5 41711, ISy. t. 46
S Franciiini. I , Scornik. c.~ 1997 urtan SettEolT%eifls in Areas
Iuat.ura~ Risks -The cae ol ~h~cr~i~r Reosten’ia
MetrhpOliEar~ Area. Acgenrirla, e24k Asseswlenr and
Mt~~air~ Nenning loran Wwertairi Furure tWOrtIrPQ
parcel book) ~ 5.3croty of City anU Reg?onal
Plann~rs Doaki i-aoan
1. cippta M , snarrna A sai-tderwri, 0 , Pe~tJcifl9 ur ~n RIsk India unz’vljipsP-ied note
S HLIIXO, t,992, Safe’ ones !Llatura~ O5fS~ tagIr~nr), HtIocc’5 colltItuCrw? New Delhi, i4tJXO
6 pacreco. P 19~7 Ri~k~ urban Land u505 v~ Wisd Fia]ln in],
Rsk Assessment and Management J~anang rtr arr Lincerta’rt Future rbsvrkrng paper tool’ tntematior.a~ &t.fly of city
arid Regional Planners, Ogati• Japan
7 Par’kh, H, 1996, commun’w Based Sanl(èIIOn anu
EnVrrOnpTt2nEaJ hr.~rove~nent Pro~ramme Ex~rtiences of
i!toore, Saroda ~~nc Ah]nac5at~ad uyta-r? Frwwnnmenta?
Management The 2ricta EIpenence rv.k]r~~ tapes)’
M5Mi & ~u~co, New D?ih:
S ~~detWh, 0. 1997 ~ed~Jc.ng ri~~ a~ a tor fcr urbal improvement. tite Cag,ieta rav.ne. Lnfla Perti
uiløubiished riolA
adapted from presenMtion mace af Conference on ‘Natural Dssasrer Prevention Land-Use Phnilng ano Susrarr1ab~e eveloprntenr, PariS, June 1999