Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Slum Dwe
Running head: SLUM DWELLERS, A BURDEN OR NEGLECT
Problems faced by Slum Dwellers
By
Asad Rehman
Syed Ali Haris
Usman Ashraf Chopra
Rana Ali Faizan
Nayab Bhangoo
Academic Writing, Section G
Miss Saamea
Slum Dwe
April 2, 2009
Abstract
The main idea of this research paper is to analyze the difficulties that slum dwellers face
in their daily lives and provide recommendations to resolve their issues subjectively. It is
intended towards finding out what problems they face with the help of a personal
interview. The effects these slums have on the people living near them are found out by
interacting with them. The attitude of the general public towards the slum inhabitants is
established through questionnaires. The role of the authorities and government in helping
these slum dwellers to improve their life style is obtained by interviewing an authority
figure. Lastly, conclusions and recommendations are drawn to address this issue by
analyzing the information collected throughout the research project.
Slum Dwe
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, we would like to thank Almighty Allah for helping us at every stage
of this research paper. Without His help, nothing is and never would be possible to
happen. A word of acknowledgement for the slum inhabitants of Johar Town for
cooperating with us and providing us with the necessary information required to get us
started.We would also like to thank each and every one that became a part of this project
by filling in the questionnaires with the due attention and enthusiasm. A special thanks to
Professor Muhammad Zafar, the respectable father of Saad Zafar, and to Ahmed Zafar,
for helping us with the interview of Mr. Liaqat Baloch. Finally, a debt of gratitude to Mr.
Liaqat Baloch for providing us the enlightening information that helped us in concluding
our project.
Slum Dwe
background
Pakistan has an agro-based economy. During its earlier years, most of the
population lived in rural areas. These people earned their livelihood through agricultural
yield that was productive enough to satisfy all of their needs. There were no incentives
for these people to move to the cities. With the passage of time, however, the trend
changed. The population grew and agricultural yield proved insufficient for them to
fulfill their needs. At the same time, cities were making progress even though it was
slow. The rural people had no option but to find alternatives to agriculture which they
thought they could seek more effectively by moving to urban areas. So, with the promise
of a better future in their minds, some of the rural inhabitants started to move towards
urban areas to seek better employment and to make use of the facilities that are available
in the cities to live a better life. It proved fruitful for many as they found the necessities
of life for which they left their homes. This led to many more people migrating to cities,
but the poor economic system and lack of policy slowly eroded the returns these people
would get. This migration in large numbers led to the formation of “slums”, a thickly
populated, run-down, squalid part of a city, inhabited by poor people.
This study proposes to survey the problems of the slum dwellers of Mughalpura
during 2008 to 2008 to determine the actual facts about the problems they face and to
find subjective solutions to these problems.
This research paper would be significant in highlighting the impact these slum
dwellers have of our society. It would focus on their problems, the views of the people
that live around them, the opinion of the general public about such settlements and the
stand point of government regarding these slum areas. The purpose of this research is to
determine whether the slum dwellers are neglected by our society or they are a burden on
the society. This purpose is served by elaborating on the flowing points:
The problems faced by the slum dwellers
The causes of problems faced by slum dwellers
The effects of slums on society
The role of government and the view of general public
Recommendations based on the above findings
Slum Dwe
introduction
This purpose is served by interviewing the slum dwellers to find out the problems
they face. The effects these slum dwellers have on the society are determined through
personal observation and analysis of a few questions from the survey that is conducted in
the form of questionnaires. The questionnaires also provide the basis of the opinion of the
general public regarding these slum areas. The role of government is determined
through the interview of Mr. Liaqat Baloch who is a renowned Member of National
Assembly (MNA). Finally an analysis of all the information collected through the above
mentioned sources allows us to present some recommendations regarding the solution of
the issue.
Problems of Slum Dwellers
A slum area can be defined as that under developed part of a city which lacks the
proper sanitation system, health care and proper housing. This definition of a slum in
itself highlights a few of the problems of the inhabitants of such areas. The problems
faced by the slum dwellers are common in almost all the areas around the globe as well
as the areas specific to our study. These problems are discussed below:
There are some problems that seem beyond solution. This is because the causes of the
problems are either not known, not well understood, or are so paradoxical and
contradictory, so hopelessly intertwined with one another that they cannot be effectively
identified and addressed. The problem of slums is one of these seemingly insoluble
problems. They are a global problem and a growing one, as exponential population
expansion in many countries forces a disproportionate number of people into increasingly
poor living conditions.
Most slums exist in countries struggling to emerge from colonial exploitation, economic
isolation, political anarchy, sectarian violence, and a host of other conditions that do not
effect more developed countries, or not so drastically.
Poverty
Slum Dwe
Poverty is the cause of slums—people do not have money, and little prospect of getting
any. Thus they don’t have adequate food, drinking water, medical care, education, or any
way to escape their poverty by moving away or up. They are trapped in poverty, more or
less without hope.
But what is the cause of their poverty? The answer is brutally simple: an unequal
distribution of wealth and the resources it can buy and control. Why is a our wealth
unevenly distributed? Again, painfully simple: because the people who have been able to
get the money and resources want to hang on to them, and to get more. Their justification
for doing this, even in the face of the visible horrors of poverty and the human suffering it
causes, is that those who have the wealth and resources are best able to manage them
well. If they were turned over to the poor, they would be squandered and wasted, because
the poor have no experience at managing them. The stability of society itself would be
threatened.
Further justification lies in the presumption that if the owners of the wealth and resources
are allowed to do their good job of managing, the poor will benefit, too, because the
whole community will prosper. This is sometimes called the Trickle Down Effect.
The problem with these justifications is that they are much too optimistic, particularly for
the emerging communities and countries like us where the most terrible poverty is
rampant. The poor are in desperate condition and cannot wait for bits of wealth to filter
down to them from the upper socio-economic strata, even if that were to happen.
Tragically, the upper strata in our society most afflicted by poverty and the slums it
creates are most likely to be comprised of corrupt managers of the wealth, whether in the
form of political leaders or private entrepreneurs. Presiding over a politically
disempowered and disenfranchised populace, the managers have no one to hold them
accountable. Cycles of coups, civil wars, and revolutions usually replace one set of self-
enriching despots with another, and the state of the poor is unaffected or made worse.
One would hope for the enlightened despot to come along who would enforce true
reforms that would improve the lot of the poor, but this has not happened and no one,
especially the poor, can count on it. Meanwhile, their lives, played out among the most
abject and dehumanizing conditions, goes on. Somehow, and in spite of everything.
Slum Dwe
Poor sanitation
Proper drainage and sanitation system in the cities of a country is the sign of
commitment of its dwellers and its government to improve the living conditions in the
country. It adds to the beauty of the city and prevents from erosion of roads by puddles of
water as well prevention of diseases specific to such puddles.
Poor sanitation system is the basic problem of the slum dwellers at large
(Appendix B, snap 1). These slums are formed on land that is yet to be built upon by
estate developers. Much of such land in Pakistan is either used as garbage disposal spot,
lies idle or is occupied by the poor people that move into the city to find work. This
occupation leads to the formation of slums. Since the slum lacks any planning in its
construction, there is no way for water to go out once it finds its way into the slum.
Another fact is responsible for water puddles in the slum areas. According to the
interview of the slum dwellers, the land on which they live is below the level of the road
beside it. Absence of proper drainage system and the lower level of the slum relative to
its surroundings cause water to stay inside the slum and forms dirty puddles of water.
Illiteracy
Education is one of the basic tools of success in the modern era. Without
education, one cannot realize their goals and make progress in this world. Education is a
must for each and every member of a society that seeks to become a developed nation
and compete with the rest of the world.
Lack of education is another basic problem among these slum inhabitants. These
people are poor. They do not have permanent housing and employment. They do not send
their children to school because according to them, they do not have the resources to
afford education for their children. One of them responded during the interview, “Even if
we send our children to government schools, how are we supposed to manage for the cost
of the books when we can hardly feed ourselves?”
Slum Dwe
Punjab government has no data on schools operating in slums
* Govt officials agree with findings
LAHORE: The Punjab government has not categorized data on public and private
schools operating in 1,100 urban slums, provincial government sources told Daily
Times on Thursday.
Sources said that although the provincial government had made tall claims for
bringing revolutionary changes in education, 40 percent of the urban population
that lived in Punjab’s slums had no such facilities.
Sources said that there are 250 Lahore-based slums, where three million people live,
but there are only 100 public schools providing primary education because of the
negligence of the departments concerned including housing, education and kachi
abadies.
A survey on the performance of public and private schools in three selected union
councils (97,98, 99) of the City District Government Lahore exposed the negligence
of the mentioned departments. According to the survey, only one public primary
school was operating in UC-98, that too without proper facilities, and the condition
of UCs 97 and 99 was not very different either.
Sources said that despite the negligence of educational authorities concerned,
private schools operating in urban slums had made no arrangements for proper
educational facilities either.
Sources said that public authorities had ignored the development of education in
these slums and new housing societies developed in Lahore near Shahdhara town
had also been reduced to slums, as education was ignored there as well.
Hafiz Rashid Mahmood, the assistant provincial director for kachi abadis, told that
under the Punjab government’s regularisation policy, they were trying to provide
maximum education facilities in urban slums. “However, the situation in the slums
Slum Dwe
is contrary, there are few schools, if any, and other facilities are also lacking,” he
admitted.
Mr Mahmood confirmed that there was only one public primary school operating in
UC-98, and that too with poor facilities. Asked about the public and private
partnership for improving educational facilities in slums, Mr Mahmood said that
the government could support the setting up of private schools in these areas. He
said that though there were few government schools operating in slums, data
relating to the actual number of schools in slums had never been compiled by the
education and kachi abadies directorates. But various schemes could be initiated to
overcome this problem, he added.
The government could fund private schools to improve their infrastructure or could
organise other financing schemes so that basic facilities are provided in slums as
well, he said.
Mr Mahmood said that establishing public schools in kachi abadies would require a
large funding and that a low standard of teaching was the primary problem with
private schools in slums. He said the government could improve teaching standards
by training teachers.
Mr Mahmood warned that if authorities continued to neglect the maintenance of
newly developed societies, they would turn into slums.
The main problem according to the nazims was compiling data on the actual
number of public and private schools operating in slums.
He said that around 125 million people in Punjab were living in urban slums and
the government should start a campaign, a joint public-private venture, to improve
educational facilities there
Cleanliness and health
Slum Dwe
According the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H), “Cleanliness is half the faith.” A clean
person reduces their chance of being effected by diseases. They are more presentable and
likeable. A clean society shows that it is responsible and disciplined. It also signifies that
they pay due attention towards their health and realize the importance of leading a
healthy life.
Unfortunately, the standard of cleanliness of the slum inhabitants is very poor
(Appendix B, snaps 2 & 3). The land that these people live on is not their own but
belongs to someone else. They just live there because they are poor and cannot afford
their own housing. This makes them liable to care less about keeping the environment
clean and healthy. In their interview, they revealed that no one has ever visited their
homes from the health department and they have not tried to contact anyone either.
Permanent employment
The importance of having a permanent living cannot be denied. A permanently
employed person can lead a far better life than one that is not. A permanent job provides
one with the incentive to work hard and make progress as compared to a temporary
working person who, because of the speculation of losing the job anytime, does not make
the required effort.
The inhabitants of the slums do not have permanent employment. They earn their
livelihood by a variety of works like street vendors, garbage collectors, house work and
labor work etc. They do not have a permanent housing and lack education to acquire a
better paying permanent job.
There are some other problems that the slum dwellers face in general like pressure
from Nazim and neighboring people to leave the area and get out of the city but the ones
discussed above were the most common one recorded in all the interviews conducted.
One of the interviews has been documented on film to provide evidence and insight to the
problems of the slum dwellers in general.
Slum Dwe
Causes of problems faced by slum dwellers
What Causes Slums in the Cities in the First Place?
Slums come about because of, and are perpetuated by, a number of forces. Among these
are rapid rural-to-urban migration, increasing urban poverty and inequality, insecure
tenure, and globalization – all contributed to the creation and continuation of slums.
It is vicious cycle of population growth, opportunities in the cities (leading to migration
to the cities), poverty with low incomes, tendency to be closer to work hence occupying
any land in the vicinity etc. The key reason out of all is the slow economic progress.
After independence in 1947, commercial and industrial activity needed cheap labor in the
cities. Plentiful was available in the rural area. They were encouraged to come to cities
and work. People, who migrated to the cities and found work, brought their cousins and
rest of the families to the cities. Unable to find housing and afford it, they decided to
build their shelter closer to work. First, one shelter was built, then two and then two
thousand and then ten thousand and on and on. Conniving governments provided
electricity and drinking water. Politicians looked at the slums as vote bank. They
organized these unauthorized dwellers into a political force; hence slums took a bit of a
permanent shape. More slums developed as more population moved to the cities. By mid
sixties Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai and all other large cities dotted with slums.
Very poor people live in slums. They are not the only one dwelling there. Fairly well to
do people also reside there. They are either offspring of the slum dwellers that found
Slum Dwe
education and an occupation. They have prospered but are unable to find affordable
housing, hence have continued to stay in the shantytowns. Others are avoiding paying
rent and property taxes. The latter is more often the case. It is not unusual that in the
dirtiest of slums, where misery prevails that TV sets, refrigerators and radios are also
blaring music. This is quite a contrast from the image which one gets in the media or
from the opportunist politicians.
Lahore has a million and a half out of fourteen million living in slums. Karachi is worst
with greater percentage living in slums. Other big urban centers have done no better.
Newly built cities like Islamabad and surrounding towns where shantytowns could have
been avoided altogether have now slums. The forgoing is Pakistan’s shame despite huge
progress.
The other important factors that we cannot ignore increasing slums every minute in mega
cities are
Large population
Pakistan's population has increased from 34 million in 1951 to 144 million in mid 2001.
The addition of over 108 million Pakistanis in just five decades is due to the high
population growth rates in the last thirty years. Continuing high population growth will
amount to Pakistan’s population reaching 220 million by the year 2020. Coupled with
poor human development indicators such as low literacy, high infant mortality and low
economic growth rates, such a large population will undermine efforts being undertaken
to reduce poverty and to improve the standards of living of the populace.
While Population Growth Rate (PGR) has declined from over 3 percent in previous
decades to its current level of 2.1 percent per annum, Pakistan still has an unacceptably
high rate of growth compared to other developing countries. Therefore the Government
of Pakistan is attaching the highest priority to the lowering of the population growth rate
(PGR) from its current level to 1.9 percent per annum by the year 2004 and to reaching
replacement level of fertility by the year 2020.
Slum Dwe
Pakistan is faced with its ever-largest adolescent population, because of its high levels of
fertility over the last few decades and its very recent fertility decline. The adolescent
population, in the age group of 15-24, as it enters into its reproductive phase embodies
potential population growth for several decades. It constitutes population momentum in
the future that has serious implications for provision of schooling, health services and
other basic amenities of life for the coming decades.
Over one third of Pakistanis are living in poverty. The impact of population growth on
poverty is obvious, since poorer families, especially women and marginalized groups
bear the burden of a large number of children with much fewer resources further adding
to the spiral of poverty and deterioration in the status of women. This large part of the
population is constrained to live in poor housing and sanitation conditions and lack of
access to safe drinking water. In particular, income poverty leads to pressures on food
consumption and adversely affects caloric intakes and increasing malnutrition in poorer
families and contributes to high levels of child and maternal morbidity and mortality.
Furthermore, rapid population growth contributes to environmental degradation and
depletion of natural resources.
Unemployment
Unemployment is a central problem because when unemployment is high, resources are
wasted and people's incomes are depressed; during such periods, economic distress also
spills over to affect people's emotions and family lives.
Now we see that in Pakistan what is the situation of unemployment and what are its
economic and social impacts.
In Pakistan labour force include all persons who are of ten years and above, and during
the period are without work, currently available for work and seeking for work. On the
basis of the existing population of 142.87 millions with Labour force participation rate of
27.46 percent, the total labour force comes to 39.24 million. According to this about 2.4
million people of labour force were estimated as unemployed in 1999, as construction
Slum Dwe
and transport sectors have absorbed 11.2 percent, 6.8 percent and 5.7 percent, compared
to 10.5 percent, 7.2 percent and 5.0 percent respectively in 1994-95.
First of all we see the Sectoral employed Labor force.
According to Labour Force Survey 1996-97, the rate of open unemployment was 6.1
percent and 5.4 percent as per Labour Force Survey of 1994-95. This indicates that rate
of unemployment has increased between these two surveys by 0.7 percent officially but
unofficially unemployment is much larger than this rate.
Often it is perceived that unemployment rate of rural areas is greater because in rural
areas there are less chances of employment as compared to urban areas where there are
more chances of employment due to more industries. So now we see the annual
unemployed labour force by urban/rural areas since 1993 to 1999, which is given in table
below:
It is obvious from the above table that in Pakistan unemployment rate is increasing in
both rural and urban areas in absolute as well as in percentage terms. Unemployment rate
in rural areas is greater as compared to Urban areas. Because of industries there are more
chances of employment in Urban areas. In Rural areas businessmen are setting up
industries due to which now rural people seek Manufacturing sector for employment . As
in rural areas there is no proper source of earnings due to which unemployment rate is
increasing. As agriculture sector is not absorbing them due to adaptation of mechanical
instruments and bad conditions. Small scale industries are not working efficiently due to
worse economic conditions. So Rural people are not finding proper source of earning. It
is clear from Percentage distribution of employed persons by major industries division
Migration towards mega cities
Since 1950, the proportion of people working in developing country agriculture has
declined by 20 to 30%. The immigrant urban poor have largely moved from the
countryside to the cities voluntarily, in order to exploit actual or perceived economic
Slum Dwe
opportunities. Opportunities manifest in part, due to the growing urban informal sector
which in many cities accounts for as much as 60% of employment.
People escaping political conflicts in the rural areas and smaller cities of such countries
as backward areas of Punjab have contributed to Lahore growth rate exceeding 7% a year
over long periods - a rate at which the population would double in just 10 years. This has
often led to a rapid increase of informal settlements
Increase in unemployment in cities
The life cycle of a slum begins with the arrival of the first batch of squatters. If these
pioneers are not instantly thrown out their number soon increases, and their makeshift
shacks are gradually upgraded to somewhat better forms of shelter. There is a typology:
urban-core or peripheral, informal or formalized settlement; for what follows, once the
squatters are established, are efforts to regulate their homes. It may take many years but,
in the end, city authorities will usually acquiesce in the existence of the settlement and
hand out papers saying so; generally in exchange for votes, and without any reciprocal
obligation to provide basic facilities such as drinking water, access roads or electricity, let
alone public health or schooling. Evictions can still occur, often justified by the argument
that the space occupied is needed for formal urban expansion, or simply as a show of
brute force: the removal of people who appear a nuisance to mainstream city perceptions,
or whose presence keeps land prices low. Building contractors, in collusion with the
strong arm of the state, drive through a mise-en-valeur operation, their bulldozers
demolishing in a morning what many hands had painstakingly constructed over months
or years. Those who are driven out have to start all over again somewhere else.
How then do slum-dwellers support themselves? We can tackle this issue by analyzing
labor relations and conditions in the ‘informal economy’. They obtain occasional work
either as waged laborers or in self-employment: some at home, others tramping the streets
or locked in small-scale sweatshops. Sometimes they own their tools or other means of
production, sometimes these are hired out to them, or provided by employers or their
agents. It is a form of organization lauded by the apostles of market fundamentalism as
the best strategy for poverty alleviation.
Slum Dwe
Effects of Slum Dwellers on Society
The slum dwellers are an active part of our society. They have a distinct life style
and problems that they face in their daily life. They play their role in our society
and their interaction with us has different impacts on the society. This section of the
project deals with the effects these slum dwellers have on our society. There are four
main ways by which slum dwellers are affecting our society; firstly, by not sending
their children to schools; secondly, by increasing crime rate; thirdly, by disrupting
the scenic beauty and lastly, by spreading diseases.socail impact
Economic impact
Literacy rate
There are a lot of slum dwellers inside the geographical boundaries of
Lahore. As discussed earlier, these people do not send their children to schools. By
not sending their children to schools, they are affecting our society as our literacy
rate is decreasing.
“Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create,
communicate and compute using printed and written materials associated
with varying context. Literacy involves a continuum of learning to enable an
individual to achieve his or her goals to develop his or her knowledge or
potential and to participate fully in the wider society” (Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia).
Education provides us with a wider prospect in our lives. It opens up various
windows of opportunities for us to choose from. Education equips us with
knowledge and appropriate implication of that knowledge promises a better future.
A person who is educated is better off in handling different situations affectively
rather than creating chaos. Basically, education makes an individual a better
person. For an economy to succeed, literacy rate is a key factor. Today, we can see
that the developed nations of this world have a high literacy rate. If the children of
Slum Dwe
an economy are educated properly, in return they provide services to the society by
becoming doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. which is beneficial for the society.
By the end of 2003, adult literacy rate in Pakistan was reported to be 48.7%
(United Nations Development Programme Report, 2005). In 1990, Pakistan had an
adult literacy rate of 35.4% (United Nations Development Programme Report,
2005). In 13 years the literacy rate of Pakistan grew only by 13.3% which amounts
to almost 1% annual growth rate. This data is significant enough to reflect the slow
progress we have made in the field of education. In the rural areas, this situation is
even worse. 58% of the girls and 47% of the boys (The World Bank, 2006) are not
enrolled in schools. Much of the slum dwellers in Lahore have migrated from rural
areas and they care less about sending their children to schools. Hence, literacy rate
of Lahore falls with an increase in the number of slums.
Crime rate
Slum dwellers live in miserable conditions. They lack proper clothing, shelter
and food which are the basic necessities of life. Since they lack these basic necessities
of life and with no money and job at hand to fulfill their desires and wants, they
have no other option but to deviate towards illegitimate means in order to satisfy
their needs and wants. R.K. Merton (Haralambos & Holborn, 2004, p. 333), who is a
sociologist, states in his theory “Social Structure and Anomie” that all members of
the society share the same values, including being successful and having a good life.
Since members of the society are placed in different positions, it means that some
are rich and some are poor, where poor people get limited opportunities to succeed
in their lives. This is the reason why poor people are more inclined towards
committing a crime. R.A. Cloward and L.E. Ohlin (Haralambos & Holborn, p. 336)
and their theory “Delinquency and Opportunity” states that in areas where there is
an established pattern of adult crime, criminal subcultures are formed. In these
subcultures the young ones are taught the deviant crimes such as how to snatch a
mobile and how to pick a pocket. They are given a hope that if they are good at
performing these deviant crimes they would rise in professional criminal hierarchy.
People who have little opportunity for access to illegitimate and legitimate
opportunity structure have no way to make their life better and their response is
violence.
Slum Dwe
As food, clothing and shelter is the utmost priority for everyone, if someone
is unable to fulfill these necessities through legitimate means they wouldn’t mind
obtaining these necessities through illegitimate means. Nowadays snatching of
mobiles, selling of drugs and kidnapping of children have become common which
proves that criminal subcultures are active and are teaching how to commit these
deviant acts. The slum dwellers that are not able to succeed either through
legitimate or illegitimate means respond towards society by harming other members
of the society just to get satisfaction out of their pain. They harm other members of
the society by gang riots or raping other members of the society. These people have
nothing else to do and they increase political tension by committing terrorism and
genocides. This collectively raises the crime rate in our society and has very
dangerous implications for the society as a whole. Hence, these “crimes of necessity”
committed by the socially deprived slum inhabitants become a nuisance for the
society.
Disruption of Scenic Beauty
The slum dwellers make temporary housing out of cloth tents (Appendix B,
snap 4). The absence of proper sewage system, heaps of garbage lying around their
houses and their poverty which does not allow them to buy and wear proper and
clean clothing, all get in the way of the beauty of the area they occupy. The slums
that were visited during the compilation of this report are present within the
housing societies of Johar Town. These slums make a bad impression on the
planned streets and colonies.
Spreading of diseases
Slum dwellers live in very unhygienic conditions. The slums do not contain a
proper sewage system, bathrooms and no proper way to dispose of waste (Appendix
B, snaps 2 & 3). Living in conditions like these definitely raises the chance of these
people to acquire diseases. Many of the slum dwellers work as garbage collectors, a
work that attracts disease easily. The doctors working for government do not pay
visits to slums for check ups and neither the slum dwellers are in a position to afford
medical treatment.
Slum Dwe
When they catch a disease they end up spreading it to everyone. These slum
dwellers live in houses that do not have any proper fencing or boundaries. Their
women work in houses and are even hired by some families to take care of babies.
This can lead to other members of the society attracting the diseases as well.
Increasing urban vulnerability : Rapid urbanisation has brought several
spatial and socio-economic developments, which exacerbate vulnerability to
natural hazards. High population density coupled with poverty create
conditions in which a natural or technological hazard has the potential for
much greater impact on people.
Increasing concentration of population and assets : The urbanisation process
has increased the concentration of people and assets, meaning that there
would be bigger human and economic losses when hit by a disaster. As
people migrate to cities for employment, and as investment in urban housing
and infrastructure goes up in response to the operations of manufacturing
and service sectors, more people buildings, structures and enterprises would
be affected by disasters.
Unsafe locations: in the cities , there is always competition amongst different
social groups for access to land. With land costs for housing often beyond the
reach of most or all low-income groups, illegal lots with no services are
settled. Most often, these locations are unsafe such as hillsides, marshy lands,
river gulleys, and lowlying coastal areas.
Slums and squatter settlements : According to a recent UN publication, 32 per
cent of the world's total urban population, representing about 43 per cent of the
developing world's urban population or nearly 1 billion people, lived in slums in
2001. Slums have intolerable housing conditions frequently including tenure
insecurity, lack of basic services and infrastructure, inadequate and
sometimes unsafe building structures, overcrowding, and location on
hazardous land. Additionally, slum areas are characterised by high
concentrations of social and economic deprivation. As a result, the people
living in slums are extremely vulnerable to the impact of disasters and have
few choices and resources for reducing their vulnerability.
Slum Dwe
Lack of urban sanitation and civic amenities : Most of the cities in developing
countries have inadequate water supply, sanitation, sewage and waste
management services for both residential and industrial sectors. Public
transport is generally inefficient and overloaded. In almost all cases air,
water and noise pollution pervades from cooking, traffic and manufacturing.
Concentrations of solid and liquid household wastes in dumps or ponds
within cities are a problem too. The absence or inadequacy of services and
social amenities increases urban vulnerability.
Socially vulnerable groups: Factors which influence vulnerability of different
social groups to disasters include household income and assets, gender, race/
ethnicity caste, quality of housing and basic services, and environmental
health risks within the workplace. These factors are enhanced in urban
habitats due to the characteristics described elsewhere in this article.
Land use planning and building codes: Land use plans and building codes
can reduce a disaster's impact. Enforcement of such measures, however, is
often poor in developing countries due to institutional weaknesses and lack of
public awareness. Differences in death tolls between significant urban
earthquakes in a developed country and developing, ones is strongly linked
to levels of development, and the extent of implementation or enforcement of
building standards and regulations. For example in 2001, there was only one
fatality in Seattle, Washington USA while over 12,000 people died in an
equivalent earthquake in Gujarat, India.
Interdependent critical infrastructure: critical services such as energy, water,
telecommunications, and public transport constitute systems and networks in
cities which are not only essential, but increasingly complex and
interdependent. The failure of one system component can have a cascading
impact, bringing down entire networks, causing extensive disruption and
huge losses. An added complexity is the increasing privatisation of public
systems and services. The responsibility, management, investment decisions
about long-term reduction in vulnerability, and the obligations for
immediate repairs following a disaster event can all invite potential conflict
between private or short-term profit considerations and longer-term values
for the public good.
Slum Dwe
Megacities as lifeline of national economy: By concentrating most of the
economic and industrial activities in a country in megacities such as Mexico
City, Sao Paulo, or Bangkok, they emerge as singular or dominant
components of national economic lifelines. Because these cities contribute
disproportionately to the national economy, any major disasters there can
exert a nationwide economic impact.
Impact of climate change: According to the report produced by the
intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global warming in the latter
part of twentieth century is leading to a progressive rise in the sea level and
the likelihood of increased intensity and frequency of weather-related
extreme events. Entire section of coastal and riverine cities and their
infrastructure are at risk 7. Longer-term impacts also could include
salinisation of groundwater leading to freshwater shortages.
Unemployment
Economic impact
From Okun's law we know that for every 2% fall in GNP relative to potential GNP,
the unemployment rate rises by 1% point. High unemployment is a symptom of
waste — for during recessions, when unemployment is high, the economy is not
producing up to high level. When economy is not producing sufficiently, we can say
that we are unable to use our full resources for production purposes. Economy will
not grow as fast as it can if become able to produce at high level.
Social impacts
However larger the cost to economy of unemployment, a recounting of Rupees lost
does not adequately convey the human, social and psychological toll that periods of
persistent involuntary unemployment bring.
Although unemployment has plagued capitalism, the Industrial Revolution,
understanding its causes and costs has been possible only with the rise of modern
Slum Dwe
macroeconomic theory. It is apparent that recessions and the associated high
unemployment are extremely costly to the economy.
Unemployment is classified into three categories (a) Frictional unemployment
(workers who are simply moving between jobs (b) structural unemployment
(workers who are in regions or industries that are in persistent slump) (c) cyclical
unemployment (workers who laid off when the overall economy suffers a downturn.
In Pakistan unemployment is of structural and cyclical nature.
Understanding the sources of unemployment has proved one of the major challenges
of modern macroeconomics. Voluntary unemployment may be or when qualified
people chose not to work out the going wage rate unemployment occur. The key
element in understanding involuntary unemployment is the inflexibility of wages in
the face of economic shocks. The same situation is in Pakistan, inflexibility arises
because of costs involved in administering the compensation system.
The upward creep in the natural rate arises mainly because of demographic trends
particularly the higher proportion of teenagers in the labour force. In addition,
government policies are also increasing unemployment rate i.e. Golden Shake Hand,
ban on jobs increasing unemployment rate.
/3
Recommendations
The basic purpose of compiling this research paper is not only to highlight the
problems associated with slum dwellers, their effects on the society and the view of the
Slum Dwe
society about them. Neither is it centered only on the role of the government. On e of the
most important aspect of this study is to recommend practical and subjective solutions to
all the problems and issues discussed within the body of the research paper based on the
analysis and interpretation of each and every bit of information gathered during the
process of compilation. This section of the research paper suggests a few
recommendations that might prove helpful to solve the issue of slum dwellers.
Literacy
The first and foremost problem that should be addressed is of education. As
discussed in the earlier sections of this report, free education and scholarship programs
are already an agenda of the Punjab government that is in action. It is only a matter of
persuading these slum dwellers to send their children to schools and make use of these
programs. The public also agrees that lack of education among the slum dwellers is due
to unawareness of these people about the importance of education. The government
should take rigorous efforts to create awareness of education among these illiterate
people, using advertisement and persuasive programs.
Employment
The provision of employment on permanent basis might help these people to
improve their conditions to a great extent. This will also make them less liable to commit
crimes. The government should raise the level of employment of these people by
providing them with financial and technical assistance required for permanent jobs. If
these people are permanently employed, they can provide for better education of their
children and acquisition of medical care and other facilities.
Permanent housing
Many of the problems can be uprooted by providing them with permanent
housing. Permanent houses with proper sewage system will prevent the spread of
diseases which otherwise, these people attract because of puddles of water in the slums. It
would also improve the scenic beauty of the surroundings in which these slum dwellers
live.
Conclusion
Slum Dwe
The slum dwellers in Johar Town face a variety of problems. These problems
include lack of education, unemployment, unclean environment and health issues. They
have various effects on our society as well. These include decreasing literacy rate, spread
of diseases, increase in crime rate and disruption of scenic beauty. The majority of the
general public cares about them and helps them and wants government to help as well. It
wants their issues to be resolved. The authorities do their best to help them but suggest
they change their culture first. The solutions of their problems are possible but need
excessive work to be done on the part of both the slum dwellers and the authorities. The
slum dwellers are a burden on the society as long as nothing is done to resolve their
issues and to help them become better citizens
How Long the Poor have to wait?
If the experience elsewhere is a guide then poverty, slums and urban squat will be a
vanishing phenomenon, if the rapid economic progress keeps its pace. Today we would
have smaller of the slums, had economic policies of the present were in place 50 years
back. Only now, all signs point to a rapidly rising GDP together with rising per capita
GDP. With rise in income level, tendency to head to the slums has lessened. Die-hard
slum dwellers that wish to pay no taxes and spend nothing on housing will most certainly
continue to stay there. Others will prefer to move out. This is a normal phenomenon. It
happened in cities of USA and other developed cities. It will happen in Lahore too. An
economic equilibrium has not been reached in the society yet, where enough money in
people’s pocket will persuade them to vacate the slums. This won’t we reached for
another 20 to 25 years. By about middle of this period with increased availability of
housing and higher incomes, the growth in slum dwelling will be arrested. Decline will
begin only when much higher incomes are reached (as stated above), provided we don’t
make the mistake of regularizing the slums/bustees with land tenure on tenable land and
other amenities. That is a sure fire method to keep the slums going. People will always
wait for free grant of land ownership even if these grants never materialize. Even the
possibility of this ever happening in a distant future will keep the slum dwellers in the
slums.
Slum Dwe
Poverty, slums and urban squat are not going to go away in next 20 to 25 years. Reversal
of this phenomenon will begin after sufficient economic progress had been made. Eight
percent GDP growths is a good sign. With quadrupled GDP in 25 years, there is a good
chance that the new and upcoming generation may stay away from slum dwelling. It may
take another 25 years before the slums are vacated.
Slum Dwe
Reference Section
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. (2007). Literacy. In Wikimedia Foundation.
United Nations. (2005). United Nations Development Programme Report, 2005.
Retrieved March 31, 2007, from Human Development Indicators Web site:
http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2005/pdf/HDR05_HDI.pdf
The World Bank. (2006). Pakistan Country Overview, 2006. Retrieved March 31, 2007,
from The World Bank Group Web site:
http://www.worldbank.org.pk/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/
PAKISTANEXTN/
0,,contentMDK:20131431~menuPK:293057~pagePK:1497618~piPK:217854~theSitePK
:293052,00.html
Haralambos, M., & Holborn, M. (2004). Sociology: Themes and Perspective (6th ed.).
Ali, S.M. (2006). Educating Children in Urban Slums [Electronic version]. Daily Times
Taylor, S. (2006). Pakistan Urges Help to Developing Countries in Improving Slum
Dwellers’ Lives [Electronic version]. Pakistan Times
Staff Report. (2007). Slum Dwellers get Ownership Rights [Electronic version]. Daily
Times
Slum Dwe
Appendix A
Figure 1 Figure 4
Public view about slum dwellers' problems
starting from most important to least important
01234567
1 2 3 4most important problem to least
important
resp
on
ses living conditions
education
employment
health
do slum dwellers live in your area?
60%
40%
yes
no
Slum Dwe
Figure 2 Figure 5
Figure 3 Figure 6
Slum Dwe
Appendix A
Figure 7 Figure 10
Figure 8 Figure 11
How do you help slum dwellers?
64%9%
9%
0% 18% financially
medication
food & clothing
education
other
Slum Dwe
Figure 9 Figure 12
Appendix A
Slum Dwe
Figure 13
Slum Dwe
Appendix B
Snap 1
Snap 2
Slum Dwe
Snap 3
Appendix B
Snap 4
Slum Dwe
Snap 5
Slum Dwe
Appendix C
SLUM DWELLERS IN LAHORE
This questionnaire concerns your attitude towards the slum dweller in our city, Lahore.
YOUR HONESTY WOULD BE APPRECIATED!
(Please tick the option that coincides with your opinion and please tick only one option for each
answer)
1) Do slum dwellers live in your area?
□ yes □ no
2) Is it their lack of awareness that these people do not send their children to school?
□ yes □ no
3) Their problems can be solved by persuading them to seek ….
a. education
b. help from welfare programs
c. regular employment
Slum Dwe
4) Do you believe that they can solve their problems themselves?
□ yes □ no
If yes, how can they do so?
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Slum Dwe
Appendix C
5) Starting from the most important, please arrange these problems of slum dwellers.
a. living conditions b. education c. health d. employment
1.____________________
2.____________________
3.____________________
4.____________________
6) To what extend should the government help them? (Mark an ‘x’ on your selected option)
7) Do you help them?
□ yes □ no
If yes how?
a. help them financially
b. providing medication
c. providing food and clothing
d. providing education/books
e. ______________________(please state your own)
Why do you help them? (Tick your option)
Slum Dwe
a. pity b. moral obligation c. genuine concern d. guilty conscience
8) Have you ever been harmed by these people in any way?
□ yes □ no
If yes how?
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Slum Dwe
Appendix C
9) The conditions slum dwellers are living in are very unhygienic. Can these people be held
responsible for spreading diseases? (Mark an ‘x’ on your selected option)
10) Do you think that the crime rate is increasing because of them?
□ yes □ no
11) What is your opinion whether these people should be either
□ provided permanent housing or □ kept away from urban areas
_____________________________________________________________
● What is your gender?
□ male □female
● What is your age?
a. 15-20 b. 21-35 c. 36-50 d. Above 50
● What is your income bracket?
a. below 30 thousands b. 30-45 thousands
c. 45-60 thousand d. above 60 thousand
● profession:___________________
Slum Dwe
THANK YOU
This information is required for a research project.
Slum Dwe
Appendix D
The interview of the slum dwellers includes the following questions:
1. What do you do when it rains?
2. Why don’t you send your children to schools?
3. Have you approached any health officials to report the conditions of health
prevailing in your habitat?
4. Do neighbors disturb you?
5. Have you thought of acquiring permanent residence in planned houses?
The interview of the authority figure contains the following questions:
1. Has anyone approached you with this issue before and have you taken any steps to
address it?
2. What do you propose to solve the problem of drainage in the slums?
3. Why are the slum dwellers the prime suspect of any criminal activity that takes place in
the area?
4. What steps have you taken to improve their environment and health conditions?
5. Have you devised any plan to provide education to their children?
6. Have you any plans to provide them permanent housing?
