Name Sennan Mattar Programme, Year mphil/PhD, 1st Year Project Title

What are the findings so far?

At this stage, I have found literature specifically on the informal settlements of Zambia (and much of the developing world) is limited, as identified by UN-Habitat, but there is adequate research on urbanization patterns to justify this project’s research objectives. This justification comes in the form of disrupting literature and limited on-the-ground research, with many desk studies but few and recent investigations. One example is given below, illustrating difficulties with desk studies in reaching similar conclusions across multiple disciplines:

There is a general assumption that urbanisation and economic development closely act in positive correlation (World Bank, 1999). In the case of Sub-Saharan Africa, Fay and Opal (1999) argue this assumption has not been observed, urban areas have continued to grow despite lack of economic growth and this could be largely explained by rural-urban wage differentials (and subsequent movement of people to higher wages). Barrios et al (2006) would agree movement of people from rural to urban areas has accounted for continuing urbanisation in Sub-Saharan Africa, but cites storages in rainfall affecting rural agriculture and livelihoods as more significant push factors than urban bias. While Kessides (2005) argues internal migration is not the main source of urban growth, the case of Sub-Saharan Africa is not vastly different to other regions and cites institutional failure rather than economic factors for the current situation of urban poor.
While all papers acknowledged the situation of urban poor, the key determinants perpetuating urban poverty in Sub-Saharan are under dispute and dependent on interpretation of macroeconomic/climatic/population data. An investigation which sources data directly from urban poor in informal settlements/slums can shed light on key determinants most significant to these people, hence the current direction of this project.