Sustainable and Smart Spatial Planning in Africa

Case Studies and Solutions

Charles Chavunduka, Walter Timo De Vries, Pamela Duran Diaz, Charles Chavunduka, Walter Timo De Vries, Pamela Duran Diaz

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781000578744
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Civil Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

This book clarifies the smart city concept that is gaining application in Sub – Saharan Africa. It shows how the smart concept can be used to address problems that would be difficult and more expensive to solve using traditional techniques such as employment creation. This is done through elaboration of the African interpretation of smartness, using tools for smart solid waste management, e-governance, smart energy, and smart infrastructure. The case studies selected, and each chapter explain a different dimension of the smart city concept and offer innovative solutions to problems of rapid urbanization. It lays the theoretical foundation for further research on smart cities and rural areas in Africa.

Section V Methods and Tools for Sustainable and Smart Spatial Planning

15The Contribution of Spatial Planning Tools towards Disaster Risk Reduction in Informal Settlements in South Africa

Juliet Akola, James Chakwizira, Emaculate Ingwani and Peter Bikam

DOI: 10.1201/9781003221791-20

CONTENTS

15.1 Introduction

15.2 Background on Spatial Planning Tools and Disaster Risk Reduction

15.3 Disaster Risk Reduction in Informal Settlements as a System

15.4 Overview of the Study Area and Methods

15.5 Results and Discussion

15.5.1 Spatial Planning Tools in Controlling Developments to Reduce Disaster Risks

15.5.2 Disaster Risks in Informal Settlements

15.5.3 Water-Related Risks

15.5.4 Fire-Related Risks

15.5.5 Health-Related Risks

15.5.6 Benefits of Spatial Planning in Informal Settlements in South Africa

15.6 Conclusion and Recommendations

References

15.1 Introduction

As the world is increasingly exposed to disaster risks, spatial planning tools emerge as key to the reduction of disasters particularly in informal settlements (Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, 2002; UN-Habitat, 2007; Hansford, 2011; Akola et al., 2019). Spatial planning tools aim to improve the welfare of persons and communities by creating sustainable and more convenient, equitable, healthful, efficient and attractive places (Kochtitzky et al., 2006). Thus, spatial planning tools have often been used by public sectors worldwide to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales including prevention of disaster risks (UN-Habitat, 2015). Disaster risks refer to the potential disaster losses, in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets and services, which could occur in a community or society over some specified future period (Dewald, 2011).

Studies (Neuvel and van der Knaap, 2010; Vyas-Doorgapersad and Lukamba, 2012; United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), 2015; United Nations, 2015; Hamza, 2015; GFDRR, 2016; Ran and Nedovic-Budic, 2016; SERI, 2018) have projected that disaster risks will increase in type, intensity and frequency. Therefore, the contribution of spatial planning tools towards disaster risk reduction particularly in informal settlements in developing nations ought to be recognised and given careful consideration in developmental activities (Hansford, 2011).

In the absence of inclusive spatial planning in South Africa, many informal settlements have continued to exist, grow and are exposed to disaster risks (SERI, 2018). This is attributed to unsustainable human practices (Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA), 2004), which could have been prevented through adherence to spatial planning tools. While spatial planning tools are regulatory measures used to create orderly developments and reduce disaster risks in urban areas, there is limited literature on their contribution towards disaster risk reduction in informal settlements in South Africa.

This chapter, therefore, reviews the contribution of spatial planning tools and makes recommendations towards disaster risk reduction in informal settlements to promote resilient, liveable, healthy and sustainable communities in South Africa. Following this introduction, the chapter proceeds to present background information on spatial planning tools and disaster risk reduction, systems theory, an overview of the study area and the methods deployed in the study. It further presents spatial planning tools applied for controlling developments to reduce disaster risks related to water, health and fire and the benefits of spatial planning in informal settlements in South Africa. Finally, the chapter provides a conclusion and recommendations.

15.2 Background on Spatial Planning Tools and Disaster Risk Reduction

Disaster risk reduction through the application of spatial planning tools entails a systematic approach of identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disasters (UNISDR, 2015). Spatial planning tools that could be used for disaster risk reduction in informal settlements include land use planning regulations, land use schemes (LUSs), zoning, subdivision and building codes and standards (South African Cities Network (SACN), 2017; UN-Habitat, 2010).

As disaster risks are increasing around the world, mostly affecting informal settlements, many regions are experiencing greater damage and heavy losses to property and lives than in the past. Globally, according to GFDRR (2016), there is variability in the annual losses and deaths from disasters but the annual total damage increased tenfold between 1976–1985 and 2005–2014, from US$14 billion to more than US$140 billion. The average population affected each year has risen from around 60 million people (1976–1985) to over 170 million (2005–2014) (GFDRR, 2016). The signs of disaster risks in informal settlements are more evident in the global south than in the global north (Laros, 2014).

It is important to note that most disasters in developed countries happen in general locations and not specifically in informal settlements (DMISA, 2004). On the contrary, in developing nations in Asia, Latin America and Africa, most disaster risks related to health, water and fire are spatially found in informal settlements (ibid).

As such, in Africa, South Africa has taken initiatives to address such disasters. For example, in 2015, the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) No 16 of 2013 was introduced as a guiding framework for all spatial planning and land use management activities in local municipalities (South African Cities Network (SACN), 2017). The aim of the act is to create a uniform system of spatial planning and land use management throughout the Republic of South Africa (Mashiri et al., 2017). This act mandates local municipalities to prepare spatial development frameworks (SDFs) and land use management schemes as a means of spatial transformation in urban and rural spaces (ibid). Thus, this study focused on ascertaining spatial planning tools applied in controlling developments to reduce disaster risks and analysing water-, health- and fire-related risks and examining the benefits of spatial planning in informal settlements in South Africa.

15.3 Disaster Risk Reduction in Informal Settlements as a System

Assessing the contribution of spatial planning tools in disaster risk reduction in informal settlements requires the consideration of interactions of informal settlements with the surrounding environment from a political, social, economic and environmental context (Coelho and Ruth, 2006). Therefore, the systems theory is adopted to explain how disaster risk reduction in informal settlements is complex in nature and there is a need for a systems approach for the development of appropriate strategies to reduce disaster risks (Pineo et al., 2020).

The systems theory that was developed by Von Bertalanffy in 1968 is likened to the art of wholeness (Cooper et al., 1971), whereby spatial planning tools, disaster risk reduction and informal settlements are regarded as a complex system that is not linear but dynamic in nature (ibid). A system can be defined as a complex of interacting elements and entails three aspects; elements, interconnections and functions that are reasonably organised in a way that achieves intended outcomes (Bertalanffy, 1968). It investigates both the principles common to all complex entities and the models, which can be used to describe them (Meadows, 2009).

In this study, the contribution of spatial planning tools in disaster risk reduction in informal settlements can be looked at as a system as shown in Figure 15.1.

From Figure 15.1, social systems in urban areas particularly the informal settlements receive input from the environment, engage in processes and generate outputs. Reducing disaster risk through spatial planning tools requires long-term systemic thinking (Asian Development Bank, 2016).

From the systems theory perspective, disaster risk reduction in informal settlements through spatial planning tools necessitates a holistic consideration of all components of the disaster risk reduction system. Based on the current practice of emergency response to disaster risks in informal settlements, it appears that the efforts of the Disaster Management Centres alone may not be adequate. Therefore, all components in the system need to be taken into consideration to reduce disaster risks in informal settlements. This also requires embracing complexity and dynamics and accepting uncertain...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• About the Editors
• Contributors List
• Section I Sustainable and Smart Spatial Planning in Africa: Introduction
• Section II Theory of Sustainable and Smart Spatial Planning
• Section III Context and External Drivers of Sustainable and Smart Spatial Planning
• Section IV Goals and Practices of Sustainable and Smart Spatial Planning
• Section V Methods and Tools for Sustainable and Smart Spatial Planning
• Section VI Future of Sustainable and Smart Spatial Planning in Africa
• Index