Abstract
This study provides rich insights into the context wherein slum dwellers live, using data collected randomly from three slum areas in Giza governorate, Egypt. Contrary to popular opinions and prevailing beliefs that slums are homogeneous residential entities, this study demonstrates that the surveyed slums are heterogeneous as the households’ characteristics and environmental and living conditions differ. The data also reveal that the three slums are remarkably different in terms of health, education, and employment outcomes. Meanwhile, slum residents face common challenges such as the lack of health, educational, social, and security services, and exhibit high levels of dissatisfaction with the provided services. However, most slum households are connected to public drainage sewers, water pipe systems, and electricity lines, and they complain about the lack of continuity and the poor quality of services. Drug abuse, insecurity, and violence are considered the biggest problems faced by the slum dwellers, coinciding with poverty and low incomes. Slums infested with crime and deviant behavior entail deliberate state intervention to improve their security conditions. Policymakers, development partners, planners, and other stakeholders aiming to improve the living conditions of slum dwellers should account for these challenges.
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Data Availability
The datasets collected and analyzed during the study are available from the corresponding author on request. The corresponding author had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
Notes
TADAMUN is a research initiative by Takween ICD (Cairo) and American University in Washington, D.C., established in 2012. For more details, see `Izbit Khayrallah—Tadamun, Paving the Streets of Mīt `Uqba—Tadamun, COMMUNITY WORKSHOP | ‘Izbit Al-Haggāna—Tadamun.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge the efforts and support of Major General Yousef Ahmed Wesal for inspecting security in the surveyed informal areas during data collection and for coordinating fieldwork. We would like to thank Heba El Refay for her help in designing the questionnaire, Pro. Noura Anwar for her valuable feedback on the questionnaire, and Alyaa Ali and Hatem Zahran for their help in acquiring the data. Sincere thanks are also to Nasreen Sayed, Mona Al-Saeed, Karim Hassanein, Mehitab Sharif, Amal Adel, Nourhan Salameh, Esraa Saeed, and Nesma Sayed for their assistance in collecting the data.
Funding
This study is part of the research project “Characteristics of slum dwellers and their future needs: A study of slum areas surrounding Cairo University.” This research is funded by Cairo University.
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SA contributed to the conception and design of the study; helped to acquire, analyze, and interpret the data; drafted the manuscript; and revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. EK and MN revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. All the authors read, approved the manuscript, and consented to publish.
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The study was approved by Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAMPAS) according to Resolution No. (783) of 2021. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study, confirming that their participation in this research is voluntary and they have the right to refuse the research or withdraw from the study at any time. The data is confidential and used only for scientific research purposes.
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Abdel-Rahman, S., Khater, E. & Abdel Fattah, M. Characteristics of Slum Residents in Egypt and Their Critical Existing Problems. Urban Forum 34, 99–132 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-022-09470-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-022-09470-y