By AlertNet Contributor | Thu., October 27, 2:14 PM | Comments ( 0 )
If we are to win the battle against slum poverty, we need to look beyond the big cities…
By Timeyin Uwejamomere
As we see the world’s population rising, we know that more and more people will be making their home in the cities. This rapid urbanisation is becoming an increasing crisis in the developing world as already scant resources are being stretched beyond breaking point. More than anything we need action. We need to see firm plans, actions and committed investment coming out of this conference, which puts the very poorest people at the heart.
Many of the cities and towns in the developing world are already at breaking point - their infrastructure simply cannot cope. Millions are arriving in cities each week and have no choice but to set up home in squalid, unplanned slums with no access to safe water, sanitation or basic dignity. For too long the international community has neglected this crisis and urban poverty is spiraling out of control. Action needs to be taken urgently as WaterAid lays out in its new report: Sanitation and water for poor urban communities: a manifesto.
This crisis also stretches beyond the headline grabbing mega-slums of Mumbai, Nairobi and Lagos, and into thousands of small towns across Africa and Asia. It is estimated that for every large town there are ten small towns, and these towns are expected to double both in size and number within 15 years, and then double again within 30 years[1]. These towns are at the front line of the rural-urban shift, but they are an international blind spot. Investment in these small towns has not kept pace, but there is an opportunity to get it right before more slums develop here too. If we are to reach the Millennium Development Goals this needs to be recognized as a key battleground.
Over a billion people are currently estimated to live in urban slums. This figure is silently rising every day. Often unrecognised as official residents, the slum dwellers are denied rights to the land they live on, and are unable to demand many basic services, including the piped water and waste management systems that wealthier, more established city residents have. The open sewers and lack of toilets in these slums are a public health crisis which threatens outbreaks of cholera, typhoid and other fatal diseases on a daily basis. Despite such appalling living conditions it is estimated that only one percent of urban aid gets to the people living in these slums. Urban planning simply skims over them.
This lack of planning is even more concerning when it comes to small towns. A town’s population can explode with little warning as they are extremely vulnerable to outside influences. Poor harvests, local conflict and extreme weather are just some of the external influences that can see people rapidly relocating to the nearest town. The rise of the Maoist movement in Nepal, for example, drove people from the countryside into the small towns at an alarming rate, and cyclones in south Bangladesh have seen thousands relocate into the towns of the Sunderbans.
Many small towns have developed quickly and haphazardly. Their populations are consequently among the worst served for all basic services, including water and sanitation. If we are to make sure these towns avoid becoming mass slums, sustainable supplies of water and sanitation are some of the most fundamental services that the towns will need. Without them economic growth will be stunted. Water borne diseases will claim lives, working hours and school days, and the people will have little chance of healthy, prosperous lives.
Finding suitable ways to address this issue is a headache for planners. Small towns are typically a mix of both ‘urban’ and ‘rural’, meaning that they tend to fall between the cracks of existing development plans. Research conducted by WaterAid has found that some small towns have been burdened with large, expensive urban systems that break down after a few years. These schemes tend to fail because the towns may not yet have the economies of scale that make them work outside the large urban context. Conversely, typical rural approaches that rely on communities working together are falling short as these traditional community bonds change as the town gets bigger.
There is a huge challenge facing urban planners on how to tackle this problem when there is no proven or standard small town approach to follow. We are treading new ground, but findings from initial research points towards some basic principles. Namely that understanding and responding to the individuality of the towns will be the key to success. The towns must be also supported in their planning, and have access to expert help in developing these solutions. In the town of Paikgacha in southern Bangladesh, for example, it was found that a small, family-run business was profitably serving water to 800 customers near their family home. The potential to expand the business across the town had not been fully realised by either the family or the local government. Evidence suggests entrepreneurship could play an important role in service delivery, given the relative political isolation of the town. A tailored approach may not be easy, but it is essential if we are to avoid quick fixes and wasted investment.
We need urgent and committed action from the international community if we are to tackle urban poverty on a global scale. National governments and donors have to give the highest political priority to getting water and sanitation into the slums and towns. No country has ever achieved acceptable public health standards without this infrastructure. We need to act now if we are to turn the slums around, and prevent millions from falling into the urban poverty trap.
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