Gemma Sou

BA International Relations and Politics, University of Sheffield, 2005 – 2008 (including one year of ‘study abroad’, Virginia University, USA, 2006 - 2007).

MPlan Planning, Specialism in Urban Development Planning in Cities of the South, University of Manchester, 2008 - 2009.

Investing migrant remittances in housing: are households autonomously reducing their vulnerability to environmental hazards?

Supervisors: Tanja Bastia and Uma Kothari.

Informal settlements, Marginalisation, Adaptation to environmental hazards, Migration, Remittances, Migrant architecture, Latin America.

This research will investigate to what extent migrant’s cash remittances are reducing household vulnerability to environmental hazards through their investment in housing.

It is widely acknowledged that low-income households experience vulnerability in a variety of ways within cities of the ‘South’. One significant form of vulnerability is vulnerability to environmental hazards. This is particularly pertinent given that many low-income families settle in so called ‘slums’ that arelocated on marginalized and tenure insecure land that frequently places households at a greater risk to the impacts of environmental hazards. In addition, the densification of these settlements associated with urbanization exacerbates household vulnerability, as well as the risk of environmental hazards occurring.

There are several ways in which households can reduce their vulnerability to environmental hazards, and one important way is through the construction of more resilient housing. Further to this, there is a vast literature on household investment strategies in housing, and it is argued by a significant amount of the literature that households which receive remittances are more likely to invest in house remodelling and construction. The resulting architecture has been termed ‘migrant architecture’, and empirical studies argue that remittance recipient households can be distinguished from non-migrant households through their architecture and use of the interior.

In answering the main research question this research will deepen the understanding of autonomous household adaptation to environmental hazards, and the role of remittances in reducing household vulnerability; will question the widespread notion that investment of remittances in housing is ‘unproductive’; and will broaden the conceptual tools for understanding migrant architecture. The research will be contextualised within a low-income community in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where households are vulnerable to flooding and landslides. In order to explore the influence of remittances a comparison between remittance recipient households and non-recipient households will form the basis of analysis.

Moser, C., Sou, G., and Stein, A. (2010), Climate Change and Assets. Briefing paper for Ford Foundation. Global Urban Research Centre, University of Manchester, UK.

Bastia, T., Lombard, M., Jabeen, H., Sou, G., and Banks, N. (2010), Right to the City Workshop report. eScholarID:93342

Funding

ESRC +3 Quota Award, University of Manchester, 2010 – 2013.

Relevant Work Experience

Research Assistant, Global Urban Research Centre, University of Manchester, Jan ’10 – Sept ’10.

Ethnographic Researcher: ‘World Cup 2010 - Global Liveness in a Real Time World,’ Goldsmiths, London, Grant partner: BBC Worldwide, June - July 2010

Teacher of Ecology and the Environment, Monte Grande School, Pisco Elqui, Chile, Feb ’04 – Nov ’04.

Interests

Modern literature, hiking, photography, fell running.