Nineteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Transforming informal settlements and its residents requires an understanding of unmet needs and resilience strategies used by the marginalized and vulnerable groups (MVGs). This is because needs identified on behalf of MVGs as “unmet” are sometimes not perceived as unmet, or even ‘meetable’, and the resilience strategies from above are often perceived as unsuitable by the MVGs. This was a qualitative study using governance diaries with 24 participants from two informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. We used Maslow’s hierarchy of needs for the framework analysis. We identified unmet needs related to physiological, safety, love and belonging, and self-esteem in order of hierarchy. There were no self-actualization needs. MVGs did not need a full satisfaction of a lower need to yearn for a higher one, and continue living despite the unmet needs. The urban paradox reminds us that cities are not always beneficial for all. The identification of unmet needs and resilience strategies adds to the literature, policy and practice on how and why residents and MVGs continue working and living in informal settlements despite the lack of or inadequate basic amenities. Hence the need to build on local resilient strategies in pursuit of inclusive and livable urbanization in Africa.