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Adaptive Co-management in the Context of Informal Settlements

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Abstract

Adaptive co-management is an approach to the management of ecosystems that is founded on the collaboration of a diverse set of actors as a means of addressing complexity and uncertainty. A key feature is the appreciation of local knowledge systems and social structures which are given equivalent value to conventional scientific and managerial knowledge. This is contrasted with participatory approaches used when confronting the challenges of informal settlements. A demonstration project for the improvement of a street in the informal part of Diepsloot, a settlement on the northern periphery of the City of Johannesburg, was used as a case study to explore aspects of adaptive co-management. A more inclusive approach in urban contexts can nurture initiative and thereby self-respect of marginalised and vulnerable citizens. At the same time, professionals can learn environmental ‘good practice’ from those most knowledgeable about re-use and recycling, and develop an understanding of real urban dynamics.

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Notes

  1. The names of these participatory approaches reflect their origins, e. g Participatory RURAL Appraisal, Rapid RURAL Appraisal, etc.

  2. These are generally badged ‘RDP houses’ through their association with government promises embedded in one of the first and overarching policies of the new democratic government, the ‘Reconstruction and Development Programme’.

  3. There have been isolated studies into government provision of medium-rise steel or concrete frame structures that would be filled in as the self-help component. In the City of Johannesburg, there have also been a number of successful projects in the inner city recycling high-rise buildings for accommodation and medium-rise mixed-use developments on disused railway land. In all of these cases, the service costs for water, sanitation and power put these dwellings beyond the means of many who currently live in informal settlements.

  4. WASSUP was formally registered as a cooperative in December 2010.

  5. This utility company is wholly owned by the City of Johannesburg. Its mandate includes the provision of piped water to individual properties and communal facilities, water supplied by tankers to highly informal settlements, repair and maintenance of sewers and stormwater drains, and refuse removal.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the members of WASSUP for their enthusiasm and support throughout the demonstration project, Jennifer van den Bussche of Sticky Situations for facilitating and for commenting on the draft of this paper, Jennifer Fitchett for creating the map, comments throughout the research process, proof reading and assistance in the final editing; the anonymous reviewers for their penetrating insights and stimulating critique.

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  1. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, WITS2050, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Anne Fitchett

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Correspondence to Anne Fitchett.

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Fitchett, A. Adaptive Co-management in the Context of Informal Settlements. Urban Forum 25, 355–374 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-013-9215-z

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