Fire Disaster, Vulnerability and Response in the Informal Settlements, Nairobi

Abstract

The paper reports on a recent study designed to examine the dynamics of fire disaster, vulnerability and response in Mukuru Fuata Nyayo Informal settlements, in Nairobi1. First, GIS based mapping exercise was conducted to generate an overview of the location, morphology and spatiality of the informal settlements.
GIS was used to map the settlement’s infrastructural services and facilities and also examine the link between settlement spatiality and fire vulnerability. Second, a cross-sectional interview survey was conducted to generate data on community profile, including tenancy, gender, age, education, occupation and experience with fire. The survey used a sample of 264 respondents comprising of household representatives drawn from the 11 villages Informal settlement fires are by nature disasters associated with considerable loss, shock, and human suffering. According to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) ‘‘disasters are as a result of the combination of: exposure to a hazard; the conditions of vulnerability that are present; and insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences”. The study analyzed the conditions in the informal settlements that expose them to fire hazards and vulnerability as well as the existing and potential pathways for resilience in fire response. It hypothesized that the resilience of an informal settlement increases and the risk of fire disasters decreases with the installation and deployment of essential infrastructure services and strengthened capacity for local
community fire response mechanisms through integrated and inclusive urban development and planning. The study results pointed to the combination of poverty, marginality, overcrowding and limited service provision that exposes residents of the informal settlements to a wide range of hazards particularly
fires and disease outbreak