IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/eurjdr/v36y2024i2d10.1057_s41287-023-00605-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Resilience Pathways of Informal Settlements in Nairobi: Stasis, Decline, Adaptation, and Transformation

Author

Listed:
  • Jan Fransen

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

  • Beatrice Hati

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam
    Kenya Hub)

  • Naomi Stapele

    (The Hague University of Applied Sciences)

  • Samuel Kiriro

    (Ghetto Foundation)

  • Rosebella Nyumba

    (Kenya Hub)

Abstract

This study investigates resilience pathways of informal settlements, and their diverse impacts through community-based participatory research in Mathare and Korogocho, Nairobi. Results reveal that resilience pathways were relatively stable in the 1970s and 1980s, declined in the 1990s, and changed towards more adaptive approaches in the 2000s. Each period accommodates a dynamic mix of maladaptive, adaptive, and transformative resilience initiatives. Adaptive resilience initiatives are sustainable and adopt frugal practice to cope with resource constraints, without harming others. Transformative resilience initiatives are rare, as they require a significant shift in societal norms and institutions. The study emphasizes the need to recognize the dynamics and variety of resilience initiatives in informal settlements. The study therefore recommends (1) recognizing and supporting adaptive and transformative resilience initiatives; (2) recognizing the dynamics and variety of resilience initiatives of informal settlements; and (3) addressing inhibiting institutional settings of informal settlements.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Fransen & Beatrice Hati & Naomi Stapele & Samuel Kiriro & Rosebella Nyumba, 2024. "Resilience Pathways of Informal Settlements in Nairobi: Stasis, Decline, Adaptation, and Transformation," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 36(2), pages 355-380, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:eurjdr:v:36:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1057_s41287-023-00605-w
    DOI: 10.1057/s41287-023-00605-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41287-023-00605-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41287-023-00605-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jan Fransen & Daniela Ochoa Peralta & Francesca Vanelli & Jurian Edelenbos & Beatriz Calzada Olvera, 2022. "The emergence of Urban Community Resilience Initiatives During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Exploratory Study," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(1), pages 432-454, February.
    2. Thomas Elmqvist & Erik Andersson & Niki Frantzeskaki & Timon McPhearson & Per Olsson & Owen Gaffney & Kazuhiko Takeuchi & Carl Folke, 2019. "Sustainability and resilience for transformation in the urban century," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(4), pages 267-273, April.
    3. Blomkvist, Pär & Nilsson, David & Juma, Benard & Sitoki, Lewis, 2020. "Bridging the critical interface: Ambidextrous innovation for water provision in Nairobi's informal settlements," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chi Zhang & Zhongchang Sun & Qiang Xing & Jialong Sun & Tianyu Xia & Hao Yu, 2021. "Localizing Indicators of SDG11 for an Integrated Assessment of Urban Sustainability—A Case Study of Hainan Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-14, October.
    2. Frantzeskaki, Niki & Buchel, Sophie & Spork, Charlie & Ludwig, Kathrin & Kok, Marcel T.J., 2019. "The Multiple Roles of ICLEI: Intermediating to Innovate Urban Biodiversity Governance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1-1.
    3. Roberta Ingaramo & Luca Pascale, 2020. "An Interpretative Matrix for an Adaptive Design Approach. Italian School Infrastructure: Safety and Social Restoration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-22, October.
    4. Yusuke Toyoda, 2021. "Survey paper: achievements and perspectives of community resilience approaches to societal systems," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 705-756, October.
    5. Anabel Ortega-Fernández & Rodrigo Martín-Rojas & Víctor Jesús García-Morales, 2020. "Artificial Intelligence in the Urban Environment: Smart Cities as Models for Developing Innovation and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-26, September.
    6. Vanda Ningrum & Chotib & Athor Subroto, 2022. "Urban Community Resilience Amidst the Spreading of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): A Rapid Scoping Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-12, September.
    7. Muhammad Adil Rauf & Olaf Weber, 2021. "Urban infrastructure finance and its relationship to land markets, land development, and sustainability: a case study of the city of Islamabad, Pakistan," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 5016-5034, April.
    8. Andrea Di Ronco & Francesca Giacobbo & Antonio Cammi, 2020. "A Kalman Filter-Based Approach for Online Source-Term Estimation in Accidental Radioactive Dispersion Events," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-19, November.
    9. Zhang Jingchao & Koji Kotani & Tatsuyoshi Saijo, 2021. "Are societies becoming proself? A topographical difference under fast urbanization in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(9), pages 12976-12993, September.
    10. Dmitry Gromov & Thorsten Upmann, 2021. "Dynamics and Economics of Shallow Lakes: A Survey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-16, December.
    11. Attila Buzási & Bettina Szimonetta Jäger, 2021. "Exploratory Analysis of Urban Sustainability by Applying a Strategy-Based Tailor-Made Weighting Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-18, June.
    12. Marini, Michele & Caro, Dario & Thomsen, Marianne, 2023. "Investigating local policy instruments for different types of urban agriculture in four European cities: A case study analysis on the use and effectiveness of the applied policy instruments," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    13. Xiaohe Zhang & Haixiao Pan, 2023. "Community Resilience in Accessing Essential Service Facilities Considering Equity and Aging Demand: A Case of Shanghai, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-21, December.
    14. Chabba, Meenakshi & Bhat, Mahadev G. & Sarmiento, Juan Pablo, 2022. "Risk-based benefit-cost analysis of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction with considerations of co-benefits, equity, and sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    15. Byungsun Yang & Dongkun Lee, 2021. "Urban Green Space Arrangement for an Optimal Landscape Planning Strategy for Runoff Reduction," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-12, August.
    16. Diana Dushkova & Dagmar Haase, 2020. "Not Simply Green: Nature-Based Solutions as a Concept and Practical Approach for Sustainability Studies and Planning Agendas in Cities," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-37, January.
    17. Sophie-Bo Heinkel & Benni Thiebes & Zin Mar Than & Toe Aung & Tin Tin Kyi & Win Lei Mar & Saw Sandar Oo & Christian Miller & Marlene Willkomm & Win Maung & Zin Nwe Myint & Khin Khin Soe & Regine Spohn, 2022. "Disaster preparedness and resilience at household level in Yangon, Myanmar," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 112(2), pages 1273-1294, June.
    18. Fekete, Alexander & Fuchs, Sven & Garschagen, Matthias & Hutter, Gérard & Klepp, Silja & Lüder, Catharina & Neise, Thomas & Sett, Dominic & von Elverfeldt, Kirsten & Wannewitz, Mia, 2022. "Adjustment or transformation? Disaster risk intervention examples from Austria, Indonesia, Kiribati and South Africa," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    19. Viola Hakkarainen & Katri Mäkinen‐Rostedt & Andra Horcea‐Milcu & Dalia D'Amato & Johanna Jämsä & Katriina Soini, 2022. "Transdisciplinary research in natural resources management: Towards an integrative and transformative use of co‐concepts," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 309-325, April.
    20. Adewunmi, Yewande & Chigbu, Uchendu Eugene & Mwando, Sam & Kahireke, Uaurika, 2023. "Entrepreneurship role in the co-production of public services in informal settlements − A scoping review," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:eurjdr:v:36:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1057_s41287-023-00605-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.