mapping for change - participatory approach in slum ...

Indian Cartographer Vol. XXXIV: 2014 

MAPPING FOR CHANGE - PARTICIPATORY APPROACH IN SLUM PLANNING SulochanaShekhar Central University of Karnataka, Kalaburagi Abstract Increasing urbanization brings a major issue of slums in most of the developing countries. New initiatives are taken in the name of slum development programs in order to improve the conditions of slum dwellers throughout the world. In India, mapping of slums by using GIS has become mandatory for slum development programs recently. The GIS based slum maps have many advantages and form a base for many planning activities. It also helps in developing spatial database. But in most of the cases, slum mapping was outsourced and was done in GIS laboratories by private companies. Even though, GIS based slum maps are created, it did not achieve the real objectives of slum development programs. In this juncture, Participatory GIS is an approach which has the potential to bring change in the community and improvement in their living. In order to reveal the advantages of Participatory GIS, Borabainagar Slum in Kalaburagi city has been taken as a case study. The slum dwellers were involved in community mapping and, consequentlythe slum map was created through GPS survey. Then the2D map was converted into 3 D map in Community VIZ in the process of developing spatial decision support system (SDSS). By providing alternative scenarios, the SDSS can help in taking suitable decision. Thus the present study demonstrates the power of participatory approach and 3D scenes in improved slum planning to achieve the target of slum free India. Key words Slum, Participatory Approach, SDSS, 3D Map 1.  

Introduction

According to UN report the number of residentsliving in slum areasis rising from nearly one billion in 2005 to 1.4 billion by 2020 at the global level.Slums have become an integral part of Indian Urbanisation. With a rapidly increasing urbanisation India's major cities are now facing great social issues such as providing the basic amenities to the slums. The Government has taken many development programmes in order to improve/ upgrade the slum conditions. The recent initiatives insist to use Geographic information system in creating slum database and Slum free city plan of action, actually raised many interrogations among the stake holders of such programs. According to them, the guidelines recommend mapping slums through remote sensing which would mean that a government GIS specialist or a private company could have the authority to determine slum boundary locations without ever having to enter a slum or interact with its residents; How will the GIS database be shared with NGOs and CBOs to inform their decisions; How can the urban poor ensure that the information that technical professionals have collected about their settlements is accurate if they have neither access to the technical tools nor knowledge of how to use them? (Livengood. A and Kunte. K, 2012).Thus the earlier experiences created distrusts in the slum development programmes and the programmes could not achieve their targets. If we want to clear these disbelieves, then it is ideal to go for participatory approach in slum planning. There are lot of successful casestudiesthatdemonstrated the strength of participatory GIS throughout the world. Hence an attempt has been made to understand the participatory approach in slum planning by using Community VIZ ina small slum area of Kalaburagi city. 2.

Participatory Approach

The history of participatory methods in development co-operation began in the late 1970s with the introduction of a new research approach called "Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA)", which Theme: Urban Management

 

 

Indian Cartographer Vol. XXXIV: 2014 

immediately became popular with decision-makers in development agencies.A limitation of RRA, however, was that it was extractive; the role of the local people was limited to providing information, while the power of decision-making about the use of this information remained in the hands of others.During the 1980's NGOs operating at grass-roots level used RRA to come up with further finetuned approaches called Participatory Rural Appraisals (PRA).One of the most important principles in PRA was the sharing of results of analysis, decisions and planning efforts among the community members by open and public presentation during meetings.Thus it built up rural people's own capacities for analysing their circumstances of living, their potentials and their problems in order to actively decide on changes.These shifts towards interactive mutual learning was then reflected in the new terminology of Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) in the early 1990s. Since the beginning of the 1990s extended concepts OF PARTICIPATORY PROCESSES and INTERACTION have been developed, and summarised under the name Participatory and Integrated Development (PID).PID means offering facilitation support to locals (such as villages, communities, interest groups, associations etc.) on a demand responsive basis, and assisting them in getting their interests represented.This leads to a more sustainable and better co-ordinated way of development. In addition to this vertical integration, PID also trys to enhance horizontal integration, i.e. the collaboration of different agencies, sector organisations and different groups of stakeholders within a region (Dawn Chatty, Stephan Baas, AnjaFleig, 2003). Since the 1990s, technological advances in geographic software have allowed the development of Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS)Participatory mapping is an interactive approach that draws on local people’s knowledge, enabling participants to create visual and nonvisual data to explore social problems, opportunities and questions. Recent developments in participatory mapping draw on Web 2.0 technology to create interactive, computer-based maps that link digital video, photos and written text with maps. To create a 3-D model of their local area and suggest how they would like to see their community develop; prioritise the suggestions and create an action plan for decision-makers to take away, and/or as a basis for community action are the latest developments in participatoryMapping (NCVO, 2010). Thus, Participatory mapping is any method, where people are encouraged to use a map in order to communicate their knowledge and ideas more clearly. If that is carried out with members of a community and, which can be used to represent the views of some or all of the members, it can be referred to as community mapping and it is one form of participatory mapping. This method indicates making Geospatial technologies available to disadvantaged groups in society such as slums in order to enhance their capacity in generating, managing, analysing and communicating spatial information. It helps to implement the planning programmes with informed decision making. This method is a bottom-up approach in the decision-making process. 3.

Implementation process

To establish the participatory process in the face of resistance of entrenched interests requires an exceedingly clever and well-thought-out plan. The specifics of the solution selected will vary with location and circumstance; the common denominator of success is that sufficient thought and attention are given to process. The program design and rollout cycle is subdivided into five stages: (1) consensus building, or pre-identification; (2) pre-feasibility, or program identification; (3) feasibility studies and program design; (4) setting up a system for monitoring and evaluating program implementation and impact; and (5) program rollout ( IvoImparato and Jeffruster, 2003). Urban development projects that aim for the improvement of shelter and infrastructure require—as a first step—the description of the settlements under consideration, and a diagnosis of their problems. Information gathering is thus essential for planning an upgrading intervention. One of the key aspects of organizing participation in urban upgrading is setting up a truly participatory process of information gathering and analysis. Theme: Urban Management

 

 

Indian Cartographer Vol. XXXIV: 2014 

Based on the participatory process of information gathering and analysis ,the information should be organized and analyzed by an interdisciplinary team, and presented to the community in a series of meetings with area-based and special interest groups. Out of the analysis of the information and the discussions in the community meetings, a coherent pattern of problems and priorities emerges. It is then possible to begin to propose and discuss alternatives for intervention, in an interactive process in which the community, through established representation mechanisms, eventually reaches decisions that reflect real demand. The technicians’ support is there to ensure that the chosen alternatives are affordable and technically sound. The final product of the exercise is a logical longterm sequence of activities and an agreed blueprint for the improvement of the area. 4.

Participatory Slum Planning –Case study

Sustainable slum upgrading is achievable through concerted and coordinated efforts by all relevant urban stakeholders using a programmatic, rights-based and gender sensitive approaches that seek to understand, and devise strategies to improve, the urban slum challenges at the national, city and neighbourhood levels.The participatory approach seeks to encourage an inclusive environment where all stakeholders are empowered to participate in defining the future of their cities and meeting the needs of their citizens, with a special focus on the empowerment of communities of slum dwellers (PSUP, 2008). One important prerequisite for improving slum conditions islocal intervention strategies that build on adequate andtimely available spatial information on locationof slum areas(Tsionet.al. 2006). To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach in slum planning, many NGOs like SPARC (2012) and Shelter Associates(2009) have tried participatory approach in spatial data collection and also got succeeded in various parts of India. Most of their efforts really helped to revise the new slum development programmes and made community Participation at every level mandatory in the slum Improvement/upgradation and rehabilitation programmes (RAY, 2011).

 

Theme: Urban Management

 

 

Indian Cartogrrapher Vol. XXX XXIV: 2014 

Kalaburragi-Borabai Nagar Slum Kalaburagi (O K Old Name Gulbarga) G is located l in th he Hyderabadd Karnatakaa (Figure 1) an under developeed region. The T city is unndergoing raapid changess in terms off population growth as well w as in the degrree of urbanisation. It is the t administrrative head - quarters of Kalaburagi ddistrict and became b a nodal ceentre for many m developpmental actiivities.Kalaburagi startedd attracting the rural fo olk from neighboring districtss and the sluum populatioon in the citty is slowly increasing. C Currently 11 1% of its populatiion are livinng in slums and a there arre 55 notified slum pockkets and 17 are chosen for slum developm ment activitiies under RA AY (Shekhar,, 2013 and Shekhar, 20144). Borabai Nagaar slum is onne of the oldeest slum locaated in Brahm mapur area oof the city. The T slum has beenn selected foor the particiipatory approach and deeveloping spaatial decisionn support sy ystem for slums. Firstly, thee slum was visited freqquently and d good interraction with slum dwelllers was developeed (Field phootographs-1)). Later on, among a them, few volunteeers were identified and th hey were trained to t use satellitte image, GP PS and field questionnairre (Field Phootographs- 2)). With their help, the slum maapping was done and required spattial data and d aspatial daata was colllected. Based d on the interactiion, observattion and the data about their socio economic e coonditions, thee slum plann ning was done. Majority M of thhem wanted to stay in thhe same areaa with improved housingg conditions and very few wannted to go too new place for better housing. h Baseed on their demands, d thee spatial lay y out was created in i Communiity VIZ softw ware.

I ) Field Phhotographs 1 (Gathering Information)

Field Phhotographs 2(Survey) Thhe Communnity VIZ is a Planner softtware that heelps in scenarrio-based, laand-use plann ning and, 3D visuualization. The T Scenarioo 3D major component of this softtware with tthe ArcGIS Desktop extensioon, create reaalistic 3D sccenes. The alternative a scenarios gennerated in Scenario 360,, another component of the sam me software, along with 3D scenes are a really helppful in inform med decision n making (Figure 2 and Figuree 3).

Theme: Urban U Manageement

 

 

Indian Cartographer Vol. XXXIV: 2014 

Figure 2- The view in Scenario 360 and Scenario 3D The graphical display and the 3D scenarios help the slum dwellers to understand the layout plan and able them to take decisions about their housing.

Figure 3 – Different Scenarios (with different lay out) and 3D view of Scenario3 The scenarios developed in Community VIZ was shown to the slum dwellers and explained the layout with single story structure and multi stories and their suggestions were documented. These information will be useful for local Municipal body, during the implementation of slum development programs. Thus the present study demonstrates the power of participatory approach and 3D scenes in improved slum planning to achieve the target of slum free India. 5.

Conclusion

The methods andtechniques used included interaction with members of slum households in Borabainagar, fieldobservation with community members and Field survey with the help of community members, andvisual image interpretation using satellite images. Based on their inputs, developing scenarios for better planning. The approach has potential for replication andup-scaling to produce a city-wide database of slums thatcould be used to monitor the effectiveness of ongoingslum development programmes. The approach reduces resource requirements while providing locally relevant and spatially detailed information for informed decision making. Participatory approach thuscan improve slum planning processes and helps in successful implementation of the same. 6.

References:

i).Avery Livengood and Keya Kunte.(2012) Enabling participatoryplanning with GIS: a case study of settlementmapping in Cuttack, India” Environment &Urbanization,International Institute for Environment and Development(IIED). Vol 24, No1, April, Pages 77–97. Theme: Urban Management

 

 

Indian Cartographer Vol. XXXIV: 2014 

ii).Dawn Chatty, Stephan Baas, AnjaFleig(2003).Introducing Participatory Approaches, Methods and Tools, Module 2,Participatory Processes towardsCo-Management of Natural Resources inPastoral Areas of the Middle EastA Training of Trainers Source Book Based on the Principles ofParticipatory Methods and Approaches iii).Ivo Imparato and Jeffruster (2003). Slum upgrading and participation: lessons from Latin America, Volume 1, World Bank, Report Number 26291. ISBN 0-8213-5370-5 iv).NCVO (2010). Institute for volunteering Research,Using participatory mapping to explore participation in three communities – Pathways through Participation - June 2010.http://pathwaysthroughparticipation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Usingparticipatory-mapping-to-explore-participation-in-three-communities_June-2010.pdf v).Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP)(2008) http://unhabitat.org/initiativesprogrammes/participatory-slum-upgrading/ vi).RAY. (2011). Rajiv AwasYojana, M/o HUPA, Government of India. vii).Shekhar (2013). Slum modelling by using ontology and Geoinformatics: case study of Gulbarga, International Journal of Geoinformatics, Vol 9, No 2, June 2013 viii).Shekhar (2014). Improving the slum planning through Geospatial Decision support system, International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Volume XL-2, 2014 ix).ISPRS Technical Commission II Symposium, 6 – 8 October 2014, Toronto, Canada x).Shelter Associates (2009 to Present), Poverty mapping, http://shelter-associates.org/ xi).SPARC (2013). Participatory mapping for citywideslum upgrading in India, Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres, May 2012. xii).Tsion Lemma, Richard Sliuzas and Monika Kuffer (2006). A participatory approach tomonitoring slum conditions: an example from Ethiopia

Theme: Urban Management