Disaster Management and Informal Settlements in India

The most recent flood in Ahmedabad, India occurred in September 2013, when 50,000 people were displaced from low lying areas of the state. The World Bank report warns that the poor living in informal settlements, such as coastal slums in India, are the most likely to be killed or harmed by extreme weather linked to climate change. The purpose of this research is to understand the historical developments of post-disaster guidelines and disaster preparedness plans in urban slums of India. This study will analyze whether upgrades of physical and legal statuses, such as land ownership, of slum communities and homes can provide insight towards disaster preparedness plans and post-disaster guidelines. It will be the first to interview different stakeholder groups (governments, NGOs, and slum residents) to inquire whether slum upgrading strategies can be used as means of disaster-preparedness. Implications and lessons will be drawn for many emerging disaster-vulnerable cities around the world.

Faculty Supervisor:

Harry Shannon

Student:

Partner:

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

University:

McMaster University

Program:

Globalink Research Award