The Flood Loss Redistribution System In a Third World Mega City

1. 2007 Summer Academy Megacities: Social vulnerability and resilience building The Flood Loss Redistribution System In a Third World Mega City Based on primary fieldwork being undertaken between March and August 2007, this poster presents an empirical analysis of socio-spatial networks used by hazard affected slum dwellers to distribute flood losses in Mumbai, India. There, the transition from traditional to modern society has generated unique – often informal – socio economic arrangements that are unlike the formal hierarchical aid systems of more developed countries. In Mumbai, different spatial and structural units overlap to produce multifaceted layers of support for families in need. The poster sustains two conclusions that have broad applicability. First, loss redistribution system (LRS) adopted by low income residents in Mumbai illustrates that flood affected population draw on multiple sources in several organizational levels for support. Consequently the LRS structure that emerges is of a semi lattice where household are linked with numerous sources at several scales for economic assistance simultaneously. Second, the growing connection between employers and workers in LRS indicates at the existence of ‘soft locations’ to explore and perhaps inculcate formal loss sharing measures. Loss Redistributive System (LRS) Flood LRS of slum residents can be compared to a lattice. A lattice is a branching system comprised of many links between its constituent elements. Depending on the lattice’s degree of development its links may be simple and unidirectional or bidirectional, between just a few nodes, or arranged in complex series and hierarchies that include nested subsets and connections with larger contexts. Flood affected households are represented as nodes on the lattice; these are linked to other nodes that stand for the different individuals or groups among whom losses are redistributed. The study of LRS shows that slum dwellers are connected with multiple agencies at different scales of society for support after floods and less developed LRS could be a cause for aggravated vulnerability for these populations. Source: Primary Fieldwork, 2007