Living with a flood: Plight of squatter settlements
Living with a flood: Plight of squatter settlements
Above-normal rainfall is most likely over areas along the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal. The pre-monsoon rainfall was a boon to people in Nepal as it washed away the deadly air pollution from the forest fire that blanketed significant areas of Nepal, including the Kathmandu Valley.
In March and April 2021, the air pollution level in Kathmandu recorded the highest, making it “the” most polluted city in the world.
Above-average rainfall in Nepal is good news to farmers who depend on rain for crop production. Still, for many people, it is their vulnerability to landslides and flooding that worries them.
Floods and inundation are significant climatic hazards, the impacts of which are more pronounced on the poor and marginalized urban communities living in the floodplains.
It is likely to repeat next year and the following year if understanding and opinions of the settlers continued to be excluded while planning for the disaster management.
As reported by ‘Nepal Disaster Report (2019)’, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu districts occupy the second and third positions for economic loss due to disasters.
A poor drainage system outflowing to the river or the main road makes them vulnerable to various diseases. Settlers built an earthen dam along the riverside to prevent floodwater from reaching the houses; however, this temporary solution is insufficient to tackle the longer-term vulnerability.
These districts and others in Nepal stand out multi-hazard risks with landslides, floods, lightning strikes, and forest fires threats.
Each year, the monsoon floods create panic, take lives, and damage properties worth millions of rupees. Squatter settlements located along the river flood plains are highly affected by the floods.
Despite this, such settlements in Kathmandu Valley are increasing along with the population within the settlements.
Whether they are formal or informal, the settlers are at risk for recurring floods as they have occupied the flood plains of the Bagmati River and its tributaries in the Valley.
In June 2018, the flood from Manohara and Hanumante rivers caused by high rainfall inundated houses, factories, schools, roads, and hospitals, causing mobility problems in Bhaktapur.
Manohara squatter settlement in the Kathmandu Valley can serve as an example. Manohara River, a tributary of the Bagmati River, separates Kathmandu from Bhaktapur.
Close to the Tribhuvan International Airport, the Manohara squatter settlement is the largest informal settlement in the Valley, with more than 700 households and over 1300 families occupying about 37,900 square meters of public land.
This squatter area was developed in 2002 when many people moved to the capital city for security and better livelihood during the Maoist Revolution.
Climate change alters the frequency and intensity of disaster events, and precipitation leading to erratic rainfall and monsoon shifts creates risks and uncertainties for the vulnerable groups.
The poor and marginalized people were compelled to move to the flood plains, knowing they settled in risk zones.
The settlers use groundwater and water supplied through tankers for drinking and for meeting other domestic needs.
Some of them still depend on polluted river water for their domestic use. Public tap stand posts (TSPs) are hardly accessible.
A poor drainage system outflowing to the river or the main road makes them vulnerable to various diseases. Settlers built an earthen dam along the riverside to prevent floodwater from reaching the houses; however, this temporary solution is insufficient to tackle the longer-term vulnerability.
Some households use shared toilets which is hazardous, particularly in the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Some households share electricity with permanent residents in their neighborhood.
The absence of a land ownership certificate prohibits them from having their electricity connection and other services provided by the state.
However, they are using this facility through their other political and social connections. Squatters in Manohara mentioned that there is no representative from squatter settlement in the Municipal Disaster Management Committee, leading to an information gap regarding disaster risks and preparedness activities.
‘Tomorrow’s cities’, the UK-funded Global Challenges Research Fund Project, reported that excessive rainfall, river corridor encroachment, land-use change, insufficient drainage size, and disturbance on the natural flow of the rivers are significant causes of increased flood vulnerability in the Kathmandu Valley.
Informal settlers are vulnerable in three aspects. First, they are economically marginalized; second, they live in the river flood plains; third, the national policies do not protect them, hence not legally receiving services from the state.
Lack of investments in robust physical infrastructure and opportunities for residents to influence urban-focused policies and planning compound the challenges of unplanned urbanization.
Building resilience to climate change impacts, including that of flooding, takes a longer time. It requires a wide range of stakeholder engagement, including communities and the local government. Nepal government has formed a commission to distribute land to squatter settlements.
Climate change alters the frequency and intensity of disaster events, and precipitation leading to erratic rainfall and monsoon shifts creates risks and uncertainties for the vulnerable groups.
Those living in the river banks are the first victims, particularly women, children, and the elderly, because of unplanned development and low adaptive and resilience capacity.
The gender inequalities compounded by climate change particularly affect women as they have to manage resources like water, cooking fuel for their families, taking care of their children at the same time.
The limited access of squatter women to credit, markets, land, and agricultural extension services makes them more vulnerable.
The fragile and temporary housing structures, poor living conditions, and proximity to the river make them further susceptible.
Building resilience to climate change impacts, including that of flooding, takes a longer time. It requires a wide range of stakeholder engagement, including communities and the local government. Nepal government has formed a commission to distribute land to squatter settlements.
However, this is widely debated. Many such commissions created in the past have failed and ultimately dissolved.
The commission‘s role is limited to provide the land to actual landless rather than addressing their other problems. Without addressing the issues of informalities, problems of squatter settlers would be far from solving.
We are good at rescue and response to protect the lives and property of victims using state mechanisms. However, preparedness should be the priority. The active participation of the vulnerable communities in decision-making is crucial to managing these disaster events.
The Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) formulates, implements, monitors, regulates, and evaluates policies, plans, and programs related to urban infrastructure development.
The ministry, however, has not yet prioritized the problems of squatters. Though squatters and landless people are staying illegally, the state cannot escape from its responsibility to provide basic human needs and protect their rights.
The ability to secure their future well-being enhances if they enjoy government facilities and services such as education, voting rights, and rights of infrastructure services.
Further, the local government needs to work on disaster preparedness well in advance rather than wait for disasters to occur.
We are good at rescue and response to protect the lives and property of victims using state mechanisms. However, preparedness should be the priority. The active participation of the vulnerable communities in decision-making is crucial to managing these disaster events.
(Subedi is a Senior researcher and Program manager at the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET)- Nepal, and Dixit is an Executive Director of ISET-Nepal)
Published in Khabar Hub on June 5 2001
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