Cause of repetitive fire disaster in informal settlements and the importance of community based disaster risk mitigation

Abstract

The growth of informal settlements has increased massively in developing countries in the last few decades. The main pull factor from rural to urban cities is the high possibility of job opportunities for the migrating poor. This has resulted in the formation of substandard housing as a means of housing the low-income urban poor. The living conditions of the slum dwellers are extremely hazardous. Due to the unviability of basic facilities, slum dwellers are forced to use illegal connections, which is the major cause of disaster in slums. Fire disaster is the most common and devastating hazard in the shanties. Although it is a concerning matter due to its repetitive occurrence, little to no action has been taken by the respective authorities. Thus, community-based fire mitigation is the only mode of survival for the slum dwellers. The research focuses on the cause of repetitive fire disasters in informal settlements and how community-based disaster risk mitigation plays a vital role in addressing the issue. The survey site, Laal Fakir Majar slum is a double structured slum, situated in Kalabagan, Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. It is formed within a pocket space that is in the residential zone of the city. This makes the site an ideal study area to understand the context of slums and their correlation with urban development. The research conducted includes both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The questionnaire survey includes 127 respondents, followed by a focus group discussion, which includes 12 respondents, to gather information based on the real scenario. A key informant interview was conducted with the respective authority bodies to understand the policy formulated by the government and the actions taken by the local NGOs. The perception of the targeted group revealed the vulnerability of the slum dwellers to fire disasters. Policies in the national guidelines regarding disaster mitigation in informal settlements are yet to be implemented which creates a scope for the corrupted influentials to extort the vulnerability of the slum dwellers. Lack of help from the local authorities has led to the use of local knowledge as the only mode of survival during disasters. The importance of community-based disaster risk mitigation has been recognised globally, as it has proven to be the most effective in preventing disasters due to its bottom-up approach. Even though the role of community-based disaster risk mitigation has been recognised, it has yet to be widely implemented.