From Poverty to Disaster and Back: a Review of the Literature

Poor people are disproportionally affected by natural hazards and disasters. This paper provides a review of the multiple factors that explain why this is the case. It explores the role of exposure (often, but not always, poor people are more likely to be affected by hazards), vulnerability (when they are affected, poor people tend to lose a larger fraction of their wealth), and socio-economic resilience (poor people have a lower ability to cope with and recover from disaster impacts). Finally, the paper highlights the vicious circle between poverty and disaster losses: poverty is a major driver of people’s vulnerability to natural disasters, which in turn increase poverty in a measurable and significant way. The main policy implication is that poverty reduction can be considered as disaster risk management, and disaster risk management can be considered as poverty reduction

Slums of Hope: Land Tenure Reforms, Local Economic Development and Environmental Improvement in a Kenyan Shanty Town

Kambi Moto is a village shack settlement in Nairobi's vast eastern peripheral slums. Kambi Moto differs from the slum around it, however, as it is in the middle of a community-led slum upgrading programme. This programme has instituted land tenure reform, house building, environmental improvements and has forced the local community to seek economic development. The environmental improvements include permanent, formal houses with electric, water and sanitation infrastructure provision. Roads were also built allowing better access to the community. Experts state that secure tenure leads to economic, health, education and other benefits (Durand-Lasserve & Selod, 2007). This 'In Perspective' case study will investigate the Kambi Moto experience to see if this holds true in practice.

Paraître et gérer. La résistible ascension des classes moyennes urbaines dans les pays du Tiers Monde

Durand-Lasserve Alain, El Kadi Galila, M. Montenegro A., Tribillon Jean-François. Paraître et gérer. La résistible ascension des classes moyennes urbaines dans les pays du Tiers Monde. In: Tiers-Monde, tome 26, n°101, 1985. Classe moyenne : La montée et la crise, sous la direction de Bernard Kayser. pp. 41-53