In the Intersection of Climate Risk and Social Vulnerabilities: a Case of Poor Urbanites in Lusaka, Zambia

The urban poor in cities of developing countries tend to be the most affected by climate change. This is because of the intersection of their socio-economic characteristics and the hazardous bio-physical environments they inhabit, which usually have limited social services. This study, conducted through interviews with 320 residents of Bauleni and Misisi residential areas of Lusaka, applied the concept of intersectionality to investigate climate risk and social vulnerabilities in informal settlements of Lusaka. The study was based on both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data was analysed using the two-sample proportions Z test and descriptive statistics with the aid of Minitab 17 statistical package, while qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis with the aid of a qualitative data analysis software called QDA miner. The respondents identified floods, diseases and crime as the major social and climatic risks. Apart from flooding and crime, the risks were not perceived to affect the value of housing in the study sites. This was due to a lack of affordable housing alternatives for the urban poor. The social and climatic risks had differentiated effects on women, men and children. Housing property owners and tenants continue to reside in the risky environments because of the lower cost of land, low cost of living and proximity to the city's central business district. The study recommends that policy measures aimed at improving informal settlements residents' well-being should be directed at improving their ability to adjust to and recover from impacts of the climatic disasters and reducing social vulnerabilities.