Use idea code (such as HB1, HB2 etc) for comments
HB1: Does slum population follows Kuznet curve?
Kuznet curve is popularly used to plot pollution versus development. The shape of the curve is inverse U indicating, initial increases in pollution with development and then it saturates and then decreases with further development. This indicates society prioritizes pollution control at a later stage.
Whether slums or informal settlements can be considered as pollution in housing sector? If that is the case, it is expected to follow Kuznet curve. Can we verify this by taking historical data of proportion of Slum housing in cities at different stages of development?
I invite your comments.
- Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan
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I am not clear about:
ReplyDelete1. What is your objective?
2. What do you mean by "slums to be considered as pollution" (I did nopt like your choice of words here)- a) Is it that they are not desirable? b) Is it that they are hazardous?....or something else?
Slum housing or informal settlements can be considered as pollution for housing sector as they are unplanned and characterized by unavailability of civic amenities like water, electricity, sewerage etc.
ReplyDeleteThe objective of the exercise is two fold. First, is to verify whether the proportion of slum housing in cities follows an - increase, saturation and decline trend over time - i.e. Kuznet curve. And then to know where does for instance, Mumbai stand in slum housing - whether it is at the increasing slope or it has crossed saturation and in the declining zone. And suppose it is in the incline slope, looking at the trend in other cities can the time of its saturation be predicted etc - and all those inferences people make out of a Kuznet's curve.
So they are the by-products of a formally organised system (It may not be right to call them pollution). Anyways...
ReplyDeleteAs i see, the intent is to study the pattern of slum development over time in a particular city. I don't think you should be motivated by the Kuznet's curve so much upfront (at the end your results may support this or they may not). The main hurdle at this point, as far as I think, is to define 'slum'. If the parameters are basic necessity proxied by income (or something else) then the definition is likely to change depending on the location. Moreover, even within a location measuring a necessity would not be a trivial job. (If you intend to go with the state's definition, please make sure that they are reasonable). As far as my knowledge they are highly understated. NGOs in this area might be a better option.
The concerns you have raised are genuine. So far I know, there is a term called 'informal settlement' and which is universally used in all cities to refer any unplanned development of housing. Of course there are city-specific names like 'tenement' or 'slum' or something else which refer to these informal housings. I guess the study of the pattern of these housing is important looking at the emphasis of UN and World Bank on 'human settlements' and 'sustainable cities', and recent stress on 'climate-resilient cities'. Also, when one comes across stunning figures like 6 out of 10 people in Mumbai stay in slums, one would like to know whether this proportion is in a state of saturation, or it is going to increase further or decrease.
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