Analysing urban flood risk in low-cost settlements of George, Western Cape, South Africa : investigating physical and social dimensions

The main theoretical question of the research concerns the importance of considering both the physical and social dimensions of urban flood risk. The following analytical questions are therefore considered: i) What constitutes urban flooding? ii) What processes influence the urban flood hazardscape? iii) What makes people vulnerable to urban flooding? iv) How does one assess urban flood risk? A realist and constructivist society-environment epistemology are considered. In particular, the platform generated through the aforementioned epistemologies for opening up the opportunity to incorporate an integrated hazardscape and vulnerability paradigm for integrated urban flood risk management is considered. The research adopts an analytical framework that includes elements of the Pressure and Release model, the Sustainable Urban Development framework and the Extended Alternative Adjustments framework to study flood risk in lowcost settlements. The research incorporates a review of the damage following three extreme weather events over George during 2006 and 2007. It selects a worst affected low-cost settlement for further flood risk analysis. In the flood risk assessment the research investigates the flood hazardscape of the settlement and physical adjustments undertaken by residents. Human flood vulnerability and vulnerability adjustments undertaken by the residents are also investigated. The research adopts a participatory hazardscape methodological approach drawing from hydrological methods within the physical sciences and qualitative methods from within the social sciences. Both primary and secondary sources are considered. The findings allow for a guiding Urban Flood Risk Circulation framework that explains the importance of considering both the flood hazardscape and human vulnerability in urban flood risk management.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Environmental and Geographical Science

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Benjamin, Mogammad Ameen

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Holloway, Ailsa

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/4823

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/4823