Almost 1 in 8 people live in slums and according to the PSUP (participatory slum upgrading programme), if no action is taken, we can expect almost 3 billion people to live in slums by the year 2030. Initiated by UN-habitat in 2008, the PSUP focuses on slum redevelopment by allowing inhabitants to participate in slum upgrading activities to achieve better housing, clean water supply, better sanitation and much more.
Due to this initiative, almost 190 cities in 40 countries spanning the sub-Saharan African, Caribbean and Pacific regions have been impacted positively. So far more than 1200 local and national governments as well as NGOs and CBOs have engaged in contributing to the development of these slums. Furthermore, almost 30 community-funded projects have been implemented, thus, over 5 million slum dwellers across the 40 countries have engaged in active slum development programmes.
Slum inhabitants do not just face spacial and economic issues, but, they are also impacted psychologically and physically. Often, human rights aren’t practised in these areas and this makes women and children prone to age/gender violence. Partly, this is due to the lack of education in the young generation who are currently growing up in such terrains. Gender equality and fair pay are high priorities in urban areas. However, women in slum homes not only supply the majority of the family's income, but they also frequently perform more manual labour than males who live in comparable circumstances. The Millennium Development Goals 2 and 3 support gender equality as well as universal primary education. PSUP promotes women to participate in slum redevelopment activities and projects to bring light to unemployment and inequality. Over half of their community-based projects are implemented by women and almost 40% of a local country team is comprised of women. Such activities will not only allow women to get over the fear of collaborative work but it will allow fellow slum members to see the capability that women possess in order to collectively bring together a brighter and better future for their area.
Housing in such areas poses a great risk to everyone, especially families. These houses are built using the resources they could find and geological conditions, especially in developing countries are often harsh. As a result, natural disasters may demolish entire communities. There are other factors besides merely the weather that put such housing at risk. These houses are very compact and close to each other, meaning that the local community can face virus outbreaks. As a result, people will always experience collective suffering, although this may be avoided by building efficient housing in confined spaces. For instance, an apartment is a sensible choice. According to PSUP, slums are home to more than 60% of urban residents in sub-Saharan Africa. The young people, especially those between the ages of 17 and 25, are one age group that is prevalent in metropolitan areas. These cities may be their destination for them to study, work, get experience, etc. This is true for developing nations, however owing to supply outpacing need, many young people may not have access to housing with adequate living conditions and sufficient sanitisation, therefore the majority of them end up living in slums. This puts their future and job at danger in addition to their mental health. PSUP encourages private investment in housing, promotes building with traditional techniques and furthermore develops financing strategies with the local community.
One of, if not the most crucial components of slum redevelopment is waste management and safe drinking water. The city generates a lot of waste, therefore they have appropriate waste management systems. The government frequently disregards the accumulation of waste in slum regions, and as a result of the residents' lack of initiative, rubbish fills the sparse places that may be found in these slums. Creating such systems for the rapid collection and disposal of waste is one of PSUP’s most important goals and it is implemented through community-managed funds.Waste management needs to be improved if sustainable development is to be achieved. Since about 884 million people lack access to clean, safe drinking water, we must pay equal attention to access to sanitary water. Access to clean, safe drinking water is a human right and the PSUP has made it a priority to exercise and promote these rights in slum areas.
Slum redevelopment is not something that can be done right away. Therefore, the most effective way to bring about noticeable change is to educate the youth about the significance of slum upgrading in metropolitan areas. There are currently 1 billion people in the world who are unable to access adequate housing, water, facilities, education, or legal protections. The PSUP provides slum residents a chance to transform their lives by generating jobs for both men and women and bringing local community projects to reality while also selecting appropriate funding options. If you would like to find out more about the PSUP, here is the link to their website where they go into detail about every issue faced by slum dwellers and what they as an organisation have done to rectify them.
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