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Improved Methods for Fire Risk Assessment in Low-Income and Informal Settlements

Author

Listed:
  • John Twigg

    (Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK)

  • Nicola Christie

    (Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK)

  • James Haworth

    (Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK)

  • Emmanuel Osuteye

    (Development Planning Unit, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK)

  • Artemis Skarlatidou

    (Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK)

Abstract

Fires cause over 300,000 deaths annually worldwide and leave millions more with permanent injuries: some 95% of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries. Burn injury risk is strongly associated with low-income and informal (or slum) settlements, which are growing rapidly in an urbanising world. Fire policy and mitigation strategies in poorer countries are constrained by inadequate data on incidence, impacts, and causes, which is mainly due to a lack of capacity and resources for data collection, analysis, and modelling. As a first step towards overcoming such challenges, this project reviewed the literature on the subject to assess the potential of a range of methods and tools for identifying, assessing, and addressing fire risk in low-income and informal settlements; the process was supported by an expert workshop at University College London in May 2016. We suggest that community-based risk and vulnerability assessment methods, which are widely used in disaster risk reduction, could be adapted to urban fire risk assessment, and could be enhanced by advances in crowdsourcing and citizen science for geospatial data creation and collection. To assist urban planners, emergency managers, and community organisations who are working in resource-constrained settings to identify and assess relevant fire risk factors, we also suggest an improved analytical framework based on the Haddon Matrix.

Suggested Citation

  • John Twigg & Nicola Christie & James Haworth & Emmanuel Osuteye & Artemis Skarlatidou, 2017. "Improved Methods for Fire Risk Assessment in Low-Income and Informal Settlements," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-12, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:2:p:139-:d:89206
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martin J. Murray, 2009. "Fire and Ice: Unnatural Disasters and the Disposable Urban Poor in Post‐Apartheid Johannesburg," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(1), pages 165-192, March.
    2. Zhenbo Wang & Xiaorui Zhang & Bo Xu, 2015. "Spatio-Temporal Features of China’s Urban Fires: An Investigation with Reference to Gross Domestic Product and Humidity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-19, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Goran Grozdanić & Vladimir M. Cvetković & Tin Lukić & Aleksandar Ivanov, 2024. "Sustainable Earthquake Preparedness: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Analysis in Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-34, April.
    2. Juliet Akola & James Chakwizira & Emaculate Ingwani & Peter Bikam, 2022. "An AHP-TOWS Analysis of Options for Promoting Disaster Risk Reduction Infrastructure in Informal Settlements of Greater Giyani Local Municipality, South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.

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