Disaster risk reduction : cases from urban Africa / edited by Mark Pelling and Ben Wisner ; with foreword by Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Pelling, Mark, 1967-

Wisner, Ben.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Emergency management--Africa--Case studies.

Emergency management.

Risk management--Africa--Case studies.

Risk management.

Disaster relief--Africa--Case studies.

Disaster relief.

Africa.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

xvi, 224 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; Sterling, VA : Earthscan, 2009.

Summary:

Focusing on Africa, the most rapidly urbanizing world region, Disaster Risk Reduction also illustrates global processes. Part one reviews development, urbanization and disaster risk in Africa as a whole, identifies state-of-the-art practices and policies for building urban resilience, and provides a tool kit for urban risk reduction. It also presents a powerful conceptual framework to analyse and compare disaster risk and resilience in different cities and communities. Part two presents detailed case studies from Algeria, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa, illustrating vulnerability to earthquake, fire, environmental health hazards, traffic hazards and flooding. Part three looks to the future and outlines a vision for a safer urban Africa based on achieving gains in human security through inclusive governance and investment in the creative capacities of Africa's urban dwellers. Together, the three parts provide a one-of-a-kind book packed with original research and offering an innovative way of thinking about the reduction of risk in rapidly urbanizing cities across the globe.

Contents:

Part I Urbanization and Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa

1 Urbanization, Human Security and Disaster Risk in Africa / Mark Pelling, Ben Wisner 3

Why Care about Urban Risk in Africa? 6

Conceptualizing Urbanization, Human Security and Disaster Risk 8

Structure of the Book 10

References 16

2 African Cities of Hope and Risk / Ben Wisner, Mark Pelling 17

Introduction: Urbanization in Africa 17

Hazards and Disasters in African Cities 25

The Continuum of Urban Risk in Africa 32

The Accumulation of Risk: Processes that Expose People to Hazard Impact and Make Recovery Difficult 34

Approaches to Urban Safety 37

Summary and Conclusions 39

References 40

3 Reducing Urban Disaster Risk in Africa / Mark Pelling, Ben Wisner 43

Introduction 43

Options for Disaster Risk Reduction 46

Techniques for Urban Disaster Risk Reduction 48

Conclusions 59

References 59

Part II Case Studies of Urban Disaster Risk in Africa

4 Integrated Disaster Risk and Environmental Health Monitoring: Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana / Jacob Songsore, J. S. Nabila, Yvon Yangyuoru, Sebastian Avle, E. K. Bosque-Hamilton, Paulina E. Amponsab, Osman Alhassan 65

Introduction 65

Methods 69

Environmental Change and the Distribution of Risks and Hazards 69

Some Illustrative Results of the Study 73

Policy Issues 81

References 82

5 Road Traffic Accidents as an Everyday Hazard: Kisii and Kisumu, Kenya / Andre Yitambe, James Okello, C. M. Ooko Nguka, Caroline Ochieng, Ana Pena del Valle 87

Introduction 87

Urbanization in Kenya 88

Disasters in Kenya 90

Case Study: RTAs in Western Kenya 93

Summary of Findings 98

Discussion 99

Conclusions 102

References 103

6 Fire Risk in Informal Settlements in Cape Town, South Africa / Robyn Pharoah 105

A City of Contrasts 106

Cape Town's Developmental Context 108

The Accumulation of Risk in Informal Settlements 110

Fire Risk in Informal Settlements 112

The MANDISA Project 114

Conclusions 123

References 124

7 Building Disaster-Resilient Communities: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania / Robert B. Kiunsi, John Lupala with, Fred Lerise, Manoris Meshack, Benedict Malele, Ally Namangaya, Emanuel Mchome 127

Introduction 127

Risk Accumulation 127

Risk Accumulation Processes in Dar es Salaam 132

Disaster Risk Reduction 135

Case Studies 135

Emerging Issues and Coping Strategies 138

Discussion and Conclusions 145

References 145

8 History, Governance and the Millennium Development Goals: Flood Risk Reduction in Saint-Louis, Senegal / Khady Diagne, Abdoulaye Ndiaye 147

Introduction 147

Risk Accumulation and Local Governance 150

Flood-Related Disaster Risk and Risk Reduction Measures 156

Four Case Studies of Local Governance Applied to Flood Risk

Reduction in Saint-Louis 159

Conclusions and Recommendations 164

Note 166

References 166

9 Disaster Risk Reduction in Algiers, Algeria / Djillali Benouar, Yamina Ait Meziane 169

Introduction 169

Risk Accumulation 170

Earthquake Disaster Risk and its Reduction 179

Conclusions and Recommendations 181

Annex: Estimation of the Earthquake Vulnerability Functions of Masonry Constructions in the City of Algiers 183

References 191

Part III A Vision for a Safer Urban Africa

10 Towards a Safer Urban Future: Conclusions and Recommendations / Djillali Benouar, Khady Diagne, Robert Kiunsi, Jacob Songsore, Mark Pelling, Robyn Pharoah, Ben Wisner, Abdoulaye Ndiaye, Andre Yitambe 195

Science, Politics and Constrained Action 195

Twin Challenges for Governance in Urban Risk Reduction 197

Specific Conclusions and Recommendations 200

A Final Word 209

References 210.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781844075560

1844075567

OCLC:

244354529