Resettling urban river communities in the Global South: achieving protection against hazards or further impoverishment?

This paper examines the literature on communities living by polluted urban rivers in the Global South, their livelihoods and attempts at their resettlement. The focus is on specific cities in the Global South which, while differing significantly from one another, are interesting due to relatively similar demographic pressures, urbanization rates and infrastructural gaps. Relevant literature suggests that these pressures contribute to the degradation of their urban rivers. Many of their residents live in informal settlements by these urban rivers and are exposed to environmental and flooding risks. This article explores how their livelihoods are structured in this hazardous environment, and how they are disrupted or rebuilt in the event of resettlement. I make two arguments in this study. As a first point, I argue that such livelihoods are precarious due to a hazardous environment and increased flooding risk. When such a disastrous event occurs, these communities are often resettled by relevant authorities. Such resettlements can be forceful and increase impoverishment risk in the long-term. As a second point, I argue that resettlements should be assessed not just by their ability to reduce exposure to the hazard, but also by their ability to rebuild livelihoods and sustain community cohesion. Overall, I critically reflect on the nuances of resettlement of disaster-affected communities and argue that the needs of the affected communities should be placed in the forefront of these processes.