Abstract
The understanding of linkages between disaster risk and urban development has seen important advances in recent decades. However, it falls short in addressing the production and reproduction of so-called urban “risk traps”, which are accumulation cycles of everyday risks and small-scale disasters with highly localized impacts, particularly on impoverished urban dwellers. Drawing on the action-research project cLIMA sin Riesgo, this paper examines risk-mitigating investment actions of state agencies, residents and communities in Barrios Altos, in the historic centre of Lima, Peru, and José Carlos Mariátegui, in the periphery. The analysis shows that residents tend to be caught in risk traps not necessarily due to lacking investments, but paradoxically despite them and their unintended effects. Furthermore, accumulated fragmented investments erode the capacity to act of those at risk and perpetuate risk accumulation cycles. The paper argues for a re-assessment of risk-mitigation investments and their intended and unintended consequences, and suggests routes to address current shortcomings in order to disrupt “risk traps”.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 477-502 |
| Number of pages | 26 |
| Journal | Environment and Urbanization |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2017 |
Funding
This document is an output from a project commissioned through the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN). CDKN is a programme funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Netherlands Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS) for the benefit of developing countries. The views expressed and information contained herein are not necessarily those of or endorsed by DFID, DGIS or the entities managing the delivery of CDKN, which can accept no responsibility or liability for such views, completeness or accuracy of the information, or any reliance placed on them. We are grateful to the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) for supporting the research project that informs this article (cLIMA sin Riesgo – Grants RSGL 1201 and 1201a). We extend our sincere gratitude to team members Ian Langdown, Rossana Poblet and Amaru Samanamú for their contributions in gathering and processing part of the information shared here, and to co-investigators Rita Lambert (DPU), Liliana Miranda (Foro Ciudades para la Vida), Carlos Escalante Estrada (Instituto de Desarrollo Urbano – CENCA), Silvia de los Rios (Centro de Documentación, Investigación y Asesoría Poblacional – CIDAP) and Marco Kamiya (UN-Habitat) for their inputs throughout the project. Last but not least, we are grateful to all the institutional actors, local community organizations and neighbours of Barrios Altos and José Carlos Mariátegui in Lima, who have been part of this initiative.
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105902 Natural hazards
- 509001 Action research
- 507019 Urban development planning
Keywords
- capacity to act
- everyday risk
- just and resilient cities
- Lima
- risk-mitigation investments
- urban risk traps
