Climate change is compounding existing challenges facing residents and workers in Harare’s informal settlements. Its effects are particularly being felt by those living in marginalised areas of the city, who are less prepared to deal with the impacts.
A new video produced by the Know Your City TV team in Zimbabwe – SDI’s youth collective – reflects on the research conducted by ACRC’s informal settlements research team in Harare.
Featuring informal settlement residents Mavis Majoni and Freddy Dube Mupangeri from Crowborough Farm Paddock, along with Mrs Dzivakwi from Tafara, the short film shares experiences from those whose lives and livelihoods are already being affected by climate change.
ACRC Harare researcher and projects coordinator at Dialogue on Shelter Trust, Evans Itayi Banana, also contributes his insights on the factors driving informal settlements’ vulnerability to climate change.
He highlights inadequate investment in drainage and road infrastructure, insecure tenure – whereby informal settlements and residences are not recognised by planning laws – and a constant risk of evictions and demolitions as key challenges, limiting residents’ capacity to engage in resilience-building activities.
Watch the video here:
Header photo credit: Know Your City TV Zimbabwe
Note: This article presents the views of the author featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the African Cities Research Consortium as a whole.
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