Inclusive solutions for informal settlements: Three thoughts
More than 65 million Indians live in informal settlements, or slums, lacking access to basic necessities and economic opportunities. That’s why in June we joined nonprofit incubator N/Core, CSR leaders, philanthropists and donors for Maximum City: Inclusive Solutions for Informal Settlements, an event that helped illuminate a way forward for informal settlements in India.
Below are three key takeaways from the event that I hope will empower a range of stakeholders — policymakers, entrepreneurs, funders, academics, and more — to be a part of the change India’s slum dwellers need and deserve.
Informal settlements are a problem hiding in plain sight
Informal settlements are under-reported by the government, their nature is misunderstood by the public at large, and they are growing at a rapid pace. In Mumbai, every second personlives in a slum. In Bangalore, official figures estimate about 597 slums, but satellite image analysis reveals there are actually as many as 2000 slums. In Chennai, the government has not formally recognised, or “notified,” a slum in the last 30 years even though the slum population has doubled. Without formal and accurate recognition, slum dwellers are often stuck in a cycle of poverty, unable to access the services and benefits available to other citizens that allow them to invest in home improvements, send their children to school, start small businesses, and more.
While many may point to the recent boom in urban migration as a root cause, we know that slums are not transitory in nature. In Bangalore, a slum resident is likely to have lived there for 20 years, making this a longstanding, overlooked problem.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for India’s informal settlements
Slums exist on a spectrum of well-being and have a range of varying needs. A growing body of research led by Duke University shows that the worst-off communities lack basic necessities such as sanitation and clean drinking water, while the more advanced slums need employment opportunities and waste management systems. Policies and actions need to be tailored to communities, neighbourhoods, and settlements.
Improving India’s informal settlements is everyone’s responsibility
We need concerted action between and for different stakeholders. Governments and policymakers need to modify restrictive policies around slum regulation, titling, and land administration to accommodate the needs of a large and growing informal population. In fact, the government has accepted slum redevelopment as an activity under CSR. We need more CSR bodies and donors need to recognise the critical role they can play and catalyse funding for entrepreneurs to tackle these challenges. At the same time, think-tanks, academics and researchers need to continue building evidence for the underlying drivers of informality and slum development to help fuel action by policymakers and entrepreneurs.
Omidyar Network supports new research, innovations, technology, and partnerships that are helping answer previously unanswered questions about India’s slum dwellers, paving a positive path forward. Up next for us is an event on July 23 with Duke University and Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, where we’ll hear from experts about a seven-year investigation of slums in Bangalore using satellite image analysis and detailed on-the-ground inquiries to assess more than 4,500 slum households. You can learn more about the event here.
We urge you to join us in this movement by spreading the word, connecting with us, supporting early stage entrepreneurs at N/Core, and by including the lens of urban poverty and informal settlements in the work you do! Below are a few resources to learn more about informal settlements and property rights in India and how you can help:
4 Ways to Tackle the Invisible Problem of Property Rights