Working papers
This Working Paper is part of the GURC Working Paper series
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Climate change adaptation in Lusaka, Zambia: A case study of Kalingalinga and Linda Compounds
Danny Simatele
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Summary
In Lusaka, weather-related events – such as severe floods, extreme temperatures, as well as cold spells – have become more frequent and intense. This has had serious consequences on the urban poor and their assets in Kalingalinga and Linda Compounds. Severe flooding (resulting from heavy precipitation) has been identified as the single most challenging weather condition facing the urban poor in the two informal settlements. Participants, during focus group discussions, revealed that floods have had a devastating impact on both human health and property. Some of the impacts include: destruction of houses and roads, loss of household property, and an increase in water-borne diseases such as dysentery and cholera.
In spite of the impact of severe weather, the urban poor in Kalingalinga and Linda Compounds are not passive. They are actively involved in developing coping and adaptive strategies, including modifying their assets in order to minimise the impact of severe weather conditions. In both study sites, for example, housing was identified as the most important asset that provided protection against the impact of severe weather conditions. Housing was also identified as performing a number of functions which include, among others, income generation and contributing to the accumulation of a household’s wealth or assets. Because of the multiple functions performed by housing, many participants considered it to be the most important asset for adapting to severe weather conditions.
Despite this, an analysis of institutional and policy frameworks revealed that there are no formal government structures supporting adaptation in these circumstances by the urban poor. At both the national and local level, a lack of climate-change-specific legislative instruments and policies has meant that the most vulnerable people are left to fend for themselves when faced with weather-related crises. It is suggested in this working paper that until Zambia, as a country, develops legislative instruments and policies that are climate-change specific, the challenges emanating from severe weather will always be an immense task and will compromise both local and national development.
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