Blog

Blog, Sierra Leone

When Communities Map Themselves, Policymakers Start to Listen

/

When Communities Map Themselves, Policymakers Start to Listen Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer system for capturing, storing, analysing and displaying data that are spatially referenced to the earth. GIS is used to create maps, analyse patterns and identity relationships. GIS is increasingly used as a tool to help map informal settlements with respect to utilities, waste management, roads, infrastructure, among others. Richard Bockerie is a seasoned data and software development professional with over a decade of experience in advanced data collection, management, analysis, and mapping, specializing in community-driven research and climate resilience projects. Holding a degree in Computer Science, he has effectively led mapping and training initiatives across multiple African countries. As Programme and Technical Manager at the Centre of Dialogue on Human Settlement and Poverty Alleviation (CODOHSAPA), the Sierra Leone affiliate of Slum Dwellers International (SDI), Richard leverages cutting-edge data platforms and GIS technology to provide actionable insights that underpin climate adaptation strategies and sustainable development policies. His work centers on delivering reliable, high-quality data critical for research on climate change impacts, urban planning, and community resilience. With expertise in monitoring and evaluation, system development, and business analytics, Richard empowers stakeholders to make evidence-based decisions that enhance environmental sustainability and socio-economic well-being in vulnerable populations. Through his role, Richard contributes to global efforts addressing climate change challenges by bridging technological innovation with grassroots knowledge, strengthening capacities for informed climate action in the most affected regions. Richard spoke to Menaka Rao, Urban SHADE’s Project Communication Officer. These are the excerpts of the interview. Menaka: How did you first start using GIS mapping in informal settlements? Richard: We began using GIS in 2015. At that time, I was responsible for analysing data of  a household survey. While quantitative data provided valuable insights, I realised it did not capture the full reality on the ground. We needed a way to represent the data spatially for a clearer picture. “Unlike traditional reports filled with graphs and tables, a map resonates with people because they can see and identify their own neighborhoods, homes, and places of work. This connection empowers them to participate actively in planning and decision-making.“ For example, if I say 50% of households lack access to water points, that’s useful. But it’s even more actionable when I can pinpoint which specific zones those households are in. Mapping the data allows us to identify areas with high and low access to services. Another instance is when community members report exposure to flooding, landslides, and other hazards—GIS lets us locate exactly where these risks exist. It became clear that quantitative and qualitative data alone couldn’t tell the entire story. GIS tools became essential in supporting our evidence and enabling evidence-based decision-making. Maps make the data more relatable and understandable for communities. Unlike traditional reports filled with graphs and tables, a map resonates with people because they can see and identify their own neighborhoods, homes, and places of work. This connection empowers them to participate actively in planning and decision-making. Menaka: What can GIS mapping do to help us understand informal settlements? Richard: GIS has huge potential to help us understand informal settlements because these places exist in physical space. When we talk about land rights, access to services, or building infrastructure, we need to show exactly what is in that space—who owns what land, the size of the community, the number of buildings, and common risks like flooding or landslides. For example, if we want to help communities get land ownership, we need to clearly map the area so people can have official documents and title deeds for their land. That’s where GIS helps. GIS mapping also lets us see who has access to services and who doesn’t. I worked on a project in Freetown with the University of Chicago where we mapped the whole city’s access to essential services using the K block analysis. We found that areas closer to roads had better service than those without road access. This data helped city officials realise the problem. Because of this, the city started a project to build roads in Kroobay, a settlement in Freetown, which has made it easier to bring services to people there. So, GIS gives us clear evidence of challenges and opportunities, and when we show this to city leaders and government, they are more likely to take action. Menaka: You conduct GIS exercises with community researchers.  Can you help us understand with examples how GIS helps community members understand their own locality better? What insights do they get when they do this exercise? Richard: In participatory GIS, community members create maps of their settlement themselves, instead of outsiders doing the mapping for them. This process helps them understand their community deeply. For example, we take drone images, print them, and bring them to the community. We first explain the images and then ask them to mark important places on the map. They mark where they live, work, and parts of the settlement prone to hazards like flooding. In one exercise, we asked them to show where they dispose of waste and then identify flooding areas. They clearly saw the link between waste disposal and flooding. This helps them realize how daily actions affect everyone in the community. Menaka: Can you also give me an example about how the understanding about a particular settlement has changed after the use of GIS and how it can help identify issues that can be worked on by policy makers and other stakeholders.  Richard: And I’ll give you an example of one of Moyiba in Freetown, where the Urban SHADE project is working. When we started doing the GIS mapping, we understood that whenever it rains, the access to the committee is completely cut off because of the road network. You can’t access health facilities or any emergency services. Moyiba is a hillside settlement. We were able to draw the conclusion that the rain comes from top and slopes downwards. We could tell the community that we need to pave

Blog, India

When an informal settlement has no PHC

/

When an informal settlement has no PHC Yetika Dolker As a public health professional, I have worked in the remote and rural areas of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh to Udaipur in Rajasthan and in the plains of Bihar.  I now with the Urban SHADE project with urban marginalised settlements in Shimla. Urban and rural health care systems are worlds apart. In rural and remote areas, reaching the facility is difficult because of extreme climate or rugged terrain. Often there is a lack of trained health personnel, or diagnostics or treatment provision in these areas. In urban areas, the public health challenges are different as I have discovered while working with informal settlements in Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh. While urban areas have better access to advanced healthcare facilities, trained healthcare personnel and technology, the most basic level of health care is often lacking. Especially for people who need it most- the urban poor who live in informal settlements. People here are also more vulnerable to diseases as they lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation, good nutrition. Climate change and its effects also affect these vulnerable persons more. Hidden health risks In Shimla extreme rains, landslides, flooding, treefalls and rock falls are common during the monsoon. The Urban SHADE project works in Krishna Nagar settlement and Idgah colony in Ruldu Bhatta. Both are informal settlements, perched atop the edges of hills making them even vulnerable to landslides and floods. A major landslide in Krishna Nagar in 2023, felled an entire slaughterhouse in the colony, and killed at least two persons. The houses here are often overcrowded, with poor ventilation, sometimes stinking due to garbage. There is barely any sanitation here. “Dog’s potty is everywhere. Walking around it is like playing stapu (hopscotch). In the rains, the muck gets inside the shoes. What to say. We live in such filth,” said a woman who lived in Krishna Nagar in a focus group discussion (FGD). “It appears that all the filth from the city comes and collects here. The gutters are open and flowing. Walking in the pathways makes you feel dirty,” woman from Krishna Nagar said. Public washrooms remain dirty, and women in these colonies say they suffer from pelvic infections as a result. The water supply is often contaminated, and people say they get gastrointestinal diseases as a result. “When there is a water cut, often the water supply is contaminated. We have heard of jaundice cases in many houses in those periods,” said a woman from Idgah colony. Residents here complain of deliberate neglect by municipal authorities. “Why do you think other areas in the city are not so dirty, madam,” asked a woman from Krishna Nagar. “The other areas in the city are so clean, and neat. It appears that all the filth from the city comes and collects here. The gutters are open and flowing . Walking in the pathways makes you feel dirty.” No PHC in the settlements To top all these existing health problems, there is no subcentre or primary health care centre (PHC) within both these settlements. A PHC or dispensary is the first point of contact in any health system. A strong and comprehensive primary health care facility can improve the healthcare access for the people and reduce the load in tertiary hospitals, not just by treating ailments, but also with preventive and promotive health care. Even though Shimla’s medical college and zonal hospital are within 5-6 kms from these two settlements, the residents are compelled to go to these hospitals even for small health issues or ailments that can be tackled at primary health care level such as diabetes. There are many persons in these colonies who suffer from chronic ailments such as hypertension, and diabetes or from respiratory illnesses such as tuberculosis, skin diseases and pain in bones and joints. They do not have motorable roads near their houses and must climb up several levels to reach the main road and catch a vehicle. The residents of Krishna Nagar and Idgah colony are garbage collectors, daily wage labourers, and small vendors, many of whom are migrants from other states or within the state. Families lose one- or two-persons’ daily wages (if the patient needs an attendant), having to spend money on travel, and medicines. These factors make the visit to hospital daunting, often leading to late diagnosis or loss to follow-ups. “Our elderly here have cases of blood pressure. Their blood pressure increases while they climb up the hill to reach hospital. We really need a dispensary here,” said a woman from Idgah colony. Take the case of tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment. Usually, the diagnosis as well as treatment of regular TB cases can take place in a PHC in India. Patients are often sent by primary health workers such as Auxiliary Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers, or Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM). But the absence of a PHC snaps the link between the community and public health systems. An ASHA worker told us that a woman in her 50s died of TB last year in Idgah colony. She was diabetic that makes her more susceptible to the disease, and treatment tougher. By the time the lady sought proper treatment, it was too late. In Krishna Nagar, a 41-year-old man was diagnosed with TB did not to continue treatment in the government hospital, but wanted to consult private practitioner, presumably because it’s easier to access. When we asked an official from Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) about the health specific data of Krishna Nagar and Idgah colony, he told us that they don’t have settlement specific data. The lack of PHC also stalls surveillance in these areas. Primary health workers who are usually attached to PHCs have no health institution to directly raise concerns. Climate change To top this, climate change effects pose a huge risk for people in these settlements. People here already dread every monsoon, as they are at risk of landslides. In Idgah colony, the

Blog, Uncategorized

Access to clinics during floods in Matopeni

/

Can You Reach a Clinic When It Floods?  Jane Njoroge It was 8 a.m. It was heavily raining in Mombasa’s Matopeni settlement. A young woman who has a walking disability had shida za mafua or chest complications in  Kiswahili. She needed to see a doctor soon. But, it was impossible to use crutches in almost knee deep water. Her mother and brother had to carry her out of the house to go to the doctor. There were no ambulances, or bridges.  During Mombasa’s rains, people living in its informal settlements have to brave the water, and the storm to reach any healthcare institution. They inevitably put off medical care because of the rains, and are often stranded and cut off from life-saving care.  This woman spoke to me and my colleagues from Slum Dwellers International-Kenya (SDI-Kenya) during a Focus Group Discussion in the Urban Shade project where we are trying to understand access to healthcare during events like these in four coastal settlements in Mombasa, and Kilifi counties, including Matopeni.  Matopeni settlement is located near the Kongowea market, perhaps the  biggest market within Mombasa Island, where people mostly work. The settlement is on land owned by the local Municipal Council, with private players staking claim to it. During the April-May qualitative data collection, it was raining heavily. It emerged in our discussions that this lack of functional infrastructure exposes the residents of Matopeni to climate-related disasters. This limits their accessibility to healthcare facilities, with pathways impassable. The focus group discussions with various stakeholders revealed that this challenge is harder felt by vulnerable populations within the locality. Children, especially pre-primary children cannot cross these flooded pathways due to the high possibility of being carried away by the force of flash floods.  As one resident put it, “During heavy downpour, the same pathways we use to access healthcare facilities are the same pathways used by water.” Matopeni during floods. Photo Credit: Muungano wa Wanavijiji, Matopeni. The disabled woman mentioned earlier said that her house tends to flood during heavy rains. As a result, she often catches flu and other ailments, and needs to see a doctor in her neighbourhood clinic. The adjacent pathways to her house are uneven and flooded, forcing her to rely on her mother and brother to carry her to the hospital. She said, “Flooded pathways are hard to navigate. I have to depend on my family to take me to the health facility. It is very hard to use crutches during flooding since the roads are covered by water, making visibility difficult, since the roads are not even and have potholes.” Uneven pathways that are not disability-friendly. The situation is further worsened when they become flooded, worsening visibility.  It’s not just residents who can’t reach clinics, sometimes, healthcare providers themselves are unable to report to work due to damaged infrastructure, effectively shutting down essential services when they’re needed most.  One respondent said, “When it rains heavily in the settlement, Kongowea dispensary also gets flooded. It is located on a flood plain. Sometimes even the medicines are carried away by the water. The government does not seem to bother, and nothing seems to change.” Kongowea Dispensary  Health consequences are felt by the community during and after flooding. For instance, stagnant floodwater becomes breeding ground for mosquitoes, increasing the spread of malaria and other waterborne diseases.   Stagnant water which act as breeding grounds Delays in treatment and care often lead to deteriorated health outcomes for the affected community members, especially for the most vulnerable groups. The community often crowdsources funds to arrange for a vehicle to take people who need urgent medical care, especially the elderly, disabled persons and people with underlying conditions to Tudor Sub County hospital. While this is heartwarming, it is neither always feasible or sustainable as a solution. There is a need to change this current situation in our informal settlements. The communities voiced thoughtful solutions during our focus group discussions. One such recommendation is the introduction of mobile clinics closer to the community to reduce accessibility time. At the moment, the communities have to travel for long distances, 3-5 kilometers, to get crucial and quality healthcare service. Transport to access this service has financial implications.  There is a need for some major infrastructural changes in the community, especially in relation to the drainage system. An effective drainage system, and regular sanitation work to unclog waste can ensure more accessible pathways even during heavy rains. Flooded pathways and common areas in Matopeni Some of these problems can be taken care of by the community. A government initiative- National Hygiene Program dubbed Kazi Mtaani, a social protection programme that employs youth to help in clean up programmes in these settlements. The initiative started during 2020 in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic in response to its major economic impact, especially on vulnerable communities. It is designed to help the youth living in informal settlements by providing them labour-intensive work for daily wages that can help create public goods for the community they live in including clearing garbage and opening clogged drains etc.  A youth community member, actively involved in Kazi Mtaani scheme, said, “I have worked in that area during the Kazi Mtaani programme. I suggest an initiative to the youth to start collecting wastes at 20 shillings per household.” Policymakers, urban planners, non profits and communities need to connect climate change with health-related impacts, and prioritise inclusive, climate-resilient urban planning that ensures everyone, regardless of where they live, can access essential services, even during disasters. Infrastructure is not just about concrete and roads. It is about dignity, safety, and survival. No one should suffer life-altering health complications simply because they can’t reach help when it rains. Jane Njorage is an intern in the research department at SDI Kenya, and is currently pursuing Masters in GIS and Remote Sensing

Scroll to Top