Covid-19: rethinking slums, urban planning

Pakistan is now seeing the beginning of the third wave of Covid-19 with the number of new cases trending upwards. While the government is taking measures to control the spread of virus, the question remains: how can Covid spread in informal settlements or slums be prevented from triggering wider shocks?

Slums and informal settlements are emerging as hotspots for Covid-19 in major cities of Punjab. Of Lahore, 30% settlements are slums. According to the National Report for Pakistan for UN Habitat III, Lahore’s slums are home to about 1.7 million people. The living conditions in most slums in Punjab are deplorable with majority of the poor living in katchi abadis where up to 10 or more families share a water tap or a pit latrine. Moreover, overcrowded housing in high-density populations in slums has become a breeding ground for infectious and contagious diseases like Covid. Simple preventive measures necessary for containing Covid-19 such as social distancing, hand washing and sanitising are luxuries for slum dwellers of Shahdara, Ravi Road, Thokar Niaz Baig and Raiwand.

The dilemmas faced by slum dwellers are not new. Nonetheless, with the outbreak of the pandemic, Pakistan is required to address them more urgently than ever. It needs to rethink its urban planning and work towards upgradation of slums. SDG Goal 11 also makes it obligatory for Pakistan to ensure “access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums” and leave no one behind. It calls upon all provincial governments in Pakistan to make massive and immediate investment in sanitation and upgraded housing. The focus has to be directed towards improved land use and zoning and devising better urban development plans that cater to social inclusion and public health.

To prevent and contain the spread of Covid-19 in slums, provincial governments have to survey and analyse slum populations and their surroundings. It is important to set up databases on the population and spatial characteristics of all informal settlements. One problem highlighted in the case of Pakistan’s slums during the pandemic is the lack of data on the number of people, their living conditions and health status. In spite of technological advancement, it is observed that complete and accurate data on Pakistan’s major cities is still not available.

Provincial and local governments are responsible for providing multisectoral support to slum residents. Immediate measures to safeguard residents include instituting informal settlements emergency planning committees in every urban informal settlement. The committees could mobilise resources for massive testing, contact tracing and isolation outside of slums of those tested positive. They can play a key role in ensuring effective case management and promoting safe burial practices. Community-based organisations and NGOs can be engaged in distribution of soap, sanitisers and masks to slum dwellers.

Urban housing policies and plans must be geared towards strengthening local government institutions that cater to the needs of slum dwellers and invest in preparedness. Besides, the aspect of health needs to be effectively incorporated in urban resilience planning.

Pakistan has to also transform its urban planning to brace for future pandemics. This could be achieved through integrating the cities’ informal sectors into the formal planning process and by making them more responsive to health predicaments in slums.

As part of its slum upgradation initiative, Pakistan also needs to draw attention towards improving market places and kiosks for street vendors and ensuring proper social distancing protocols. This could be a step towards promoting economic inclusion and will help informal workers’ income. Moreover, the government needs to take steps for an immediate moratorium on eviction in slums.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2021.

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