COPING WITH THE CHALLENGES OF URBANIZATION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE LIVELIHOOD SYSTEMS OF SLUM DWELLERS IN THE WA MUNICIPALITY

Abstract

Urbanisation has positive and accelerating effects on development but, in developing countries, it has left much to be desired as slum dwellers are trapped in poverty, insecurity, terrible housing conditions, and inadequate provision of environmental services. In the Wa Municipality, the housing needs of majority of the urban populations are not met and their choice of livelihood activities are restricted under various environmental constraints that are as a result of the failure of current social, urban, economic and development policies. This study investigated the trend of livelihood systems and how they affect slum dwellers in their effort to cope with the vulnerabilities of their environments. It also explored conditions under which slum dwellers can maximise the prospects of their environment and minimise the challenges therein. A mixed method was adopted which combined both quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection of which questionnaire were used. The findings indicate that rapid urbanisation resulting from rural-urban migration, poverty, non-maintenance of structures, and construction of unauthorized housing structures are resulting in the emergence of slums with poor livelihoods. The predominant coping strategy engaged in is what households termed as "supplementary occupations". The study concludes that poor livelihoods are not restricted to rural areas but are equally urban problems, and multiple strategies are used by slum households to cope with urban life, The study recommends that, for development control of slums to be effective, there should be holistic slum improvement packages such as regularisation of the rights to land and housing, improving the existing infrastructure through self-help programs, providing basic services and legal access to land and innovative credit with help from civil society organisations or the private sector towards livelihood improvement,