Urban Flooding in Informal Settlements: A case study of women in Bwaise III, Kampala and their experiences with urban flooding

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation and population growth are currently shaping the cities in Eastern Africa, bringing up various challenges to the infrastructure and the urban population. These cities are not equipped to handle the growing urbanisation, leading to an increased vulnerability to natural disasters, which is further exacerbated by climate change.

This thesis aims to understand how women in Bwaise III, Kampala, experience and cope with flooding and how they participate in household and community flood-mitigation efforts. Utilising feminist political ecology and asset vulnerability framework, this thesis investigates the lived experiences of the women, focusing on the assets and resources they have available for coping with flash flooding and how gender roles and expectations may influence their experiences. This study used a qualitative research design that relied on focus group discussion, in-depth interviews, and observation to document the lives of women residing in flood-prone slum areas of Bwaise.

The thesis found that flash flooding substantially impacts women in Bwaise III, affecting multiple aspects of their lives. Floods disrupt their daily routines, making them spend more time on household chores and care work. It damages their property, makes them susceptible to various respiratory and epidemic illnesses, and reduces their safety, negatively impacting their social relationships. Such findings are consistent with previous literature on women's experiences of flooding. The coping strategies used by the women were found to be short-term individual strategies focused on protecting their property. An overall lack of social support networks and community initiatives led to feelings of apathy and loneliness among the women when dealing with flash floods. The study determined that women were considerably vulnerable to the impact of the floods due to their daily routines being tied to their homes. Housing ownership was thus determined to be a critical factor in women's vulnerability to flash flooding.