Environmental Sustainability In Informal Settlement Upgrading Projects In Nairobi, Mombasa And Kisumu Cities In Kenya

The phenomenal growth of urban centres in developing countries makes cities important sites for engaging with environmental issues. The prevalence of informal settlements in cities and its implication on environmental sustainability has become a growing concern. Metabolic processes of these spatial units significantly shape the urban ecological system and define quality of life in cities. However, the significance of this space in the environmental sustainability function has not been adequately considered. Policy makers and urban planners have often failed to recognize informal settlement upgrading projects as conduits for integration of environmental sustainability in cities. As a result, the upgraded settlements do not sufficiently contribute to improved urban environmental quality. In this regard, this study sought to establish the environmental sustainability performance of government led informal settlement upgrading projects in Kenyan cities so as to recommend measures that can be taken to improve environmental quality in the upgraded settlements. It assessed the environmental performance of 11 upgraded informal settlements, the existing environmental sustainability integration pathways and analysed the impact of institutional arrangements on environmental sustainability integration in informal settlement upgrading programs in Kenya. A list of 16 environmental sustainability indicators was developed based on the theoretical and empirical frameworks. The indicators were grouped into four categories: resource consumption, waste management, environmental quality and community organization. The study adopted a case study research design. Household and key informant interviews, observations and focused group discussions were used to collect data. A total of 600 households were sampled from the eleven settlements through multistage method involving cluster and systematic sampling. These households were distributed equally between Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa.